EIT Food MIDSA

There is a global need to sustainably increase aquaculture production to meet the needs of a growing population. Bivalve shellfish aquaculture is highly attractive from a human nutrition, economic, environmental and ecosystem standpoint. However, bivalve industry growth is falling behind fish aquaculture due to critical defects in the production process. Feed defects, disease, and quality issues are throttling production.

We will develop a highly nutritious bivalve feed product, in the form of microencapsulated particles, and known as BioBullets. This feed will increase bivalve hatchery production rates through uplift in the quality of broodstock and higher survivorship and growth of juveniles. We have already demonstrated that our microencapsulates can be ingested by a commercially farmed bivalve, the blue mussel Mytilus edulis.

This project will source nutritional encapsulates from waste streams, providing economic and sustainability benefits through a circular economy.