Innovation Capabilities & Products
- Capabilities | Development of management and decision-making tools based on modeling and simulated scenariosCoastal & Environmental Protection Maritime Spatial Planning Ecosystem Services & Governance Aquaculture Fisheries
Development of space-specific tools for assessment, management and decision-making by modeling the impacts of present and possible future environmental scenarios (pollution, climate change, etc.) on oceanographic conditions, biodiversity distribution, physiological response or fisheries and aquaculture performance.
- Capabilities | Development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems
Optimization of multitrophic culture systems in open and closed aquaculture infrastructures, ranging from recirculation fish-macroalgae aquaculture systems, with special focus on the effect of the resultant microbiomes on animal welfare, to the adjustment of low-trophic multi-species aquaculture systems in the ocean.
- Capabilities | Development and optimization of aquaculture systems for traditional and new farmed species
Development of integrated culture techniques for new aquaculture species, as well as optimization of traditional ones based on different approaches (i.e. early development, handling, feeding, disease and immune responses, ecophysiological performance, or ecosystem carrying capacity) to improve animal welfare, yield and sustainability in global marine aquaculture.
- Capabilities | Prediction and characterization of harmful algal blooms
Characterization and modeling of algal blooms and their interaction with oceanographic and environmental conditions to model and predict proliferation episodes.
- Capabilities | Characterization of photosynthetic properties and by-products of phytoplankton
Characterization of the photosynthetic properties and by-products of different phytoplankton species under laboratory, industrial farming and natural conditions.
- Capabilities | Development of new food products from fisheries and aquaculture by-products
Development of processes for the transformation of discards and seafood by-products into new raw materials (fish mince, fish oil, etc.) with added value for the generation of innovative processed food products (hamburgers, nuggets, etc.), ensuring traceability, nutritional value and safety in new value chains.
- Capabilities | Pathogen incidence and risk assessment
Pathogen detection and identification in wild and farmed animals, as well as in seafood products. Evaluation of the relationship between pathogen incidence and various environmental and physiological aspects to provide risk assessments for target pathogens.
- Capabilities | Development of bioprocesses (biorefineries) for the extraction of bioproducts and bioactive compounds from food industry by-products
Development of processes that allow extracting useful components of industrial interest from discards and food industry by-products and effluents. Biochemical characterization of useful components present in different kinds of fisheries products and by-products, such as skin collagen, visceral enzymes, chondroitin sulphate present in cartilage, chitin from crustacean shells and cuttlebone or protein hydrolysates obtained from muscle. Evaluation of potential applications of these compounds through the characterization of their biological activities (antioxidants, etc.) and functional properties for their use in different industries, such as biomedical, chemistry, cosmetic, food, etc.
- Capabilities | Development of pathogen-resistant variants for aquaculture
Application of the most advanced -omic techniques for the identification of resistance genes that can be used as biomarkers for the selection of pathogen-resistant variants of marine aquaculture species.
- Capabilities | Control of traceability and labelling
Development of specific biomarkers and -omic techniques to quantify allergens and to track species composition and geographical origin for quality traceability and prevention of food fraud and unregulated fisheries.