The Aquaculture workgroup primarily deals with the development of a land-based marine multi-trophic aquaculture system, in which organisms of different trophic stages (fishes, mussels, algae) are cultivated in an interrelated system. The main advantages of such integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) lie above all in the optimum utilization of the feed energy used, and in increasing the added value. Through the secondary production of highly valuable algae and filter organisms for nutritional purposes as well as medical and cosmetic applications, IMTA systems can represent an advantageous economical and ecological supplementation to conventional, land-based aquaculture systems.
The Fraunhofer EMB has made its aim to test the feasibility and profitability of IMTA concepts. In doing so, the interactions among organisms with regard to their performance potential, quality and well-being play a decisive role. Techniques such as ultrasound and thermographic analyses will be tested for the non-invasive monitoring of fish and mussel growth.
In the macroalgae focus area, local species whose ingredients are important for the industry are primarily used (e.g. carrageenan and alginate). The objective of the workgroup is to determine the optimal cultivation parameters for different macroalgae and evaluate their aquaculture potential.
Short-term effects of increasing CO2, nitrate and temperature on three Mediterranean macroalgae: biochemical composition - Dagmar B. Stengel, Rafael Conde-Álvarez,SolèneConnan, Udo Nitschke, Francisco Arenas, Helena Abreu, José Bonomi Barufi, Fungyi Chow, Daniel Robledo, Erik-Jan Malta, Mayte Mata, Talina Konotchick,Cristina Nassar, Ángel Pérez-Ruzafa, David López, Ronny Marquardt, FátimaVaz-Pinto, Paula Celis Plá, Maibe Hermoso, Esther Ruiz, Gema Ordoñez, Pauli Flores, Marianela Zanolla, Elena Bañares-España, María Altamirano, Nathalie Korbee, Kai Bischof, Félix L. Figueroa - Aquatic Biology - 2014 doi: 10.3354/ab00576