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SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

SFI Harvest - Technologies for sustainable biomarine value creation

Alternative title: SFI Harvest - Teknologi for bærekraftig biomarin verdiskaping

Awarded: NOK 96.0 mill.

Deep down in the ocean, pioneering work is taking place to explore the bioeconomic potential of the depths. What is really down at a depth of 1000 meters? Can some of it become a natural part of our diet? In the innovation-driven research centre SFI Harvest, we look at what is further down, in the dark between 200 and 1000 metres below sea level. It is called the mesopelagic zone, or "twilight zone" and is white areas on the map, a world we have not fully mapped. What is there, and how can we exploit it without harming nature and the balance of the ecosystem? So far, we know that mesopelagic fish, krill, copepods and other zooplankton species can nutritionally replace soy as a high-quality source of protein in fish feed. Perhaps there are also completely different opportunities – and certainly there are also challenges. We need more knowledge, and we need technology for responsible harvesting and processing of marine species at lower levels of the food chain. This is what the research centre SFI Harvest is working to develop. Researchers, fishermen, the biomarine industry, technology suppliers and special interest organisations collaborate to develop knowledge about ecosystem dynamics, as well as technology for monitoring, data collection and harvesting of underutilised species. Decision support for fishermen, product development and business models are also on the agenda for SFI Harvest. Since 2020, we have sought answers to questions such as: What do we find, how much can we withdraw without upsetting the eco-balance, what products can we make from this and how will it happen? And not least, what new technology do we need? To find out how many zooplankton and mesopelagic fish there are, autonomous systems are needed for mapping and monitoring occurrence and concentration. The new technology developed for this purpose can also map and monitor the prevalence of plastics and microplastics in the ocean. For sustainable harvesting and management of the fish species in question, models are needed that can estimate and predict the species' characteristics and role in the ecosystem, as well as their migrations in time and space. In order for fishermen to go for the unknown rather than the known, they need reliable decision support that tells them how much catch and profit they can expect to get back for the time and fuel they have to use. They also need equipment that works, both for targeted capture without bycatch of other species and storage and processing of the biomass they take on board. New harvesting technologies can be transferred to the development of new gear to collect plastic from the sea, as well as the development of fishing gear that protects the seabed. On land, there must be an industry for further product development, and reliable data on the content of nutrients and environmental toxins. Last but not least, all this must go around, it must bear – both in economic and ecological terms – if the capture of mesopelagic fish species is to have a right to life. Some highlights from 2023: • Research cruise in the Barents Sea to test new sensor and robot technology. • New models have been developed for calanus in Norwegian waters and krill models in the Southern Ocean. • The first version of a web portal for fish planning has been developed. In the web portal, biomass estimates along vessel tracks (towing tracks) are displayed in a map view for the user to take a closer look at time series for continuous variables, as well as available extracts of full echograms. • Calanus nets with different angles and different mesh sizes have been tested both in the flow tank and on board the fishing boat. Here the catch efficiency of the various nets was measured. • Feed made on mesopelagic fish was used in a feeding experiment with first mink and then salmon. • A report has been published on: "A study of the Norwegian Calanus fishery. Can the level of activity in fishing be affected by conditions in other fisheries?" We are not the first to do research on mesopelagic and lower trophic marine resources, but SFI Harvest is the first centre to approach the entire value chain from mapping the biomass to products to the market. We place great emphasis on ensuring that our research is transferable to traditional fishing and efforts to combat plastic litter of the oceans, in order to ensure benefits from use regardless of the outcome of the pioneering work. Keep up with and get access to ongoing research results on sfiharvest.no.

The ocean hosts large number of species that could improve food security, but are currently either not harvested or only marginally utilised. SFI Harvest will develop knowledge and technologies for harvesting and processing of lower-trophic marine species to enable sustainable growth of Norway's biomarine industries. It will draw upon Norway's leading position in the ocean and offshore sectors, bringing together pioneering shipowners, key technology providers, producers of aqua feed and -raw materials, SINTEF Ocean and other strong research groups, including SFF AMOS. The centre’s industry partners will form an innovation board to speed up the time-to-market of innovations based on the centre’s activities. The centre integrates six research areas: Survey technology, Ecosystem dynamics, Decision support, Harvesting technology, Product development, and Business models. The main outcomes of the centre’s activities will be sensor technology for cost-efficient mapping and monitoring of marine species, a model predicting good fishing grounds and variability in the ecosystem, decision support allowing fishermen to save fuel and time, predicting catch potential, selective and energy-efficient fishing gears, on-board processing lines for separating the catch by species and preserving quality, rapid catch quality measurement, new land-based feed and food ingredient processes, guidelines for resource allocation and vertical value chain coordination, and a sustainability assessment tool for value chains. This will enable the sustainable harvesting of new marine species and the establishment of a new biomarine value chain. Further, the centre will enable Norway to lead the technological development for the mesopelagic and low-trophic fisheries, creating new global market opportunities for the centre’s industrial partners. The technologies developed will also support cross-over solutions for today's commercial fisheries and for challenges like removing plastic from the oceans.

Publications from Cristin

Funding scheme:

SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

Thematic Areas and Topics

FNs BærekraftsmålMål 2 Utrydde sultLTP3 Samfunnsikkerhet, sårbarhet og konfliktDelportefølje InternasjonaliseringDigitalisering og bruk av IKTPrivat sektorIKT forskningsområdeKunstig intelligens, maskinlæring og dataanalyseDigitalisering og bruk av IKTLTP3 Samfunnssikkerhet og beredskapIKT forskningsområdeRobotikk, automatiseringLTP3 Klima, polar og miljøMatGlobal matsikkerhetInternasjonaliseringSirkulær økonomiNaturmangfold og miljøMarint naturmangfold, økosystemer og økosystemtjenesterInternasjonaliseringInternasjonalt prosjektsamarbeidIKT forskningsområdeAnvendt forskningAvanserte produksjonsprosesserBruk av avansert produksjonsteknologi (ny fra 2015)Avanserte produksjonsprosesserMarinMarin forurensning inkl. miljøgifterMarinMarint naturmangfold, økosystemer og økosystemtjenesterBioteknologiBransjer og næringerProsess- og foredlingsindustriNaturmangfold og miljøMarin forurensning inkl. miljøgifterBioteknologiMarin bioteknologiMaritimKlima- og miljøvennlig maritim virksomhetGrunnforskningBransjer og næringerNæringsmiddelindustriKutt i utslipp av klimagasserLTP3 IKT og digital transformasjonBioøkonomiØvrig bioøkonomiMaritimMaritime muligheter i havnæringeneMarinMarin bioteknologiPortefølje Banebrytende forskningBransjer og næringerMatMat - Blå sektorDelportefølje KvalitetBransjer og næringerFiskeri og havbrukHavbrukMatNæringsmiddel og foredlingKlimarelevant forskningDelportefølje Et velfungerende forskningssystemHavbrukFôr og ernæringLTP3 Fagmiljøer og talenterMarinLTP3 Et kunnskapsintensivt næringsliv i hele landetLTP3 Bioøkonomi og forvaltningLTP3 Høy kvalitet og tilgjengelighetMarinFiskeriLTP3 Hav og kystLTP3 Klima, miljø og energiBioøkonomiMaritimLTP3 Havteknologi og maritim innovasjonLTP3 Marine bioressurser og havforvaltningFNs BærekraftsmålPortefølje InnovasjonNaturmangfold og miljøLTP3 Nano-, bioteknologi og teknologikonvergensFNs BærekraftsmålMål 14 Liv under vannPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderPortefølje Klima og miljøLTP3 Muliggjørende og industrielle teknologierPortefølje Energi og transportLTP3 Styrket konkurransekraft og innovasjonsevnePortefølje ForskningssystemetMarinHavbrukPortefølje Mat og bioressurserMatPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderFiskeri og kystPortefølje Muliggjørende teknologierNaturmangfold og miljøSirkulær økonomi