SBEP - Aquafeed Upgraded: Enhancing Immune Function of Fish with Seaweed-modified Functional Compounds

As the demand for seafood continues to grow, it is crucial that we identify regional and sustainable feed sources that not only enhance the nutritional value of aquafeed, but also increase the growth and health of fish while reducing the ecological impact of aquaculture. One promising solution lies in the use of seaweed-derived functional compounds, which have long been utilized in aquafeeds for their binding properties. The key innovations of our project include the use of pre-treatment to increase the yield of bioactive compounds from seaweed, as well as the development of an efficient cascading biorefinery to enhance the extraction process. The result will be environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable processes for the aquaculture industry. By utilizing seaweed-derived compounds and innovative techniques, we can work towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly aquaculture industry, while improving the health and welfare of the farmed fish.

Pursuit of a sustainable aquaculture industry must identify regional and sustainable feed sources that enhance the nutritional value of aquafeed, increase the growth and health of fish while reducing the ecological impact of aquaculture. Seaweed-derived functional compounds have long been utilised in aquafeeds, mainly focusing on their binding properties. Feed producers are now looking to substitute conventional feed ingredients, such as fishmeal and soybean meal, associated with environmental concerns. These challenges necessitate alternatives from marine resources to support the low-trophic organisms. Therefore, seaweed cultivation and harvesting can have a significant positive impact by mitigating damage to local ecosystems and marine wildlife: a prerequisite for further growth is the introduction of ecosystem services in European aquaculture. The originality of our approach is the combination of expertise and crossover of techniques within pre-treatment, biorefinery, screening in in-vitro, and validating in in-vivo studies combined with sustainability and techno-economic assessments. The project engages early on with the industrial partners (within consortium) and other stakeholders to enable co-creation and co-production in both seaweed and aquaculture feed sectors. Our innovation lies in the choice of methodology, which includes pre-treatment to increase yield of bioactive compounds from seaweed and develop an efficient cascading biorefinery to enhance the extraction process. The outcome of this project will therefore be beyond the state-of-the-art to provide environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable processes.