Project description
Portugal to lead blue revolution in aquaculture
As a coastal country with a long fishing tradition, aquaculture is an economic engine for Portugal. It makes sense to improve the country’s fish-farming systems. With this in mind, the EU-funded GRINNAQUA project will increase the innovation capacity of Portugal’s Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR). Specifically, it will raise the centre’s research profile in the following areas: fish-acquired immune system and vaccination strategies, genetics and animal breeding, and animal health and prophylactic effects of functional diets. It will focus on rainbow trout (viral haemorrhagic septicaemia) and Atlantic salmon (sea louse parasite). GRINNAQUA hopes CIIMAR will become a leading institute for the blue revolution in aquaculture.
Objective
GRINNAQUA is conceived in compliance with the Farm to Fork Strategy and is focused in capacitating CIIMAR to raise staff’s research profile and increase its innovation capacity positioning the institution among the main actors in the area of aquaculture. Recognized leaders in R&D within European aquaculture with a solid background in relevant areas partnered with CIIMAR. Their profiles make these the ideal partners to push CIIMAR towards scientific excellence and competitiveness. INIA-CSIC (Spain) has significant expertise on the study of fish acquired immune system and vaccination strategies; Roslin Institute - Univ. Edinburg (UEDIN, UK) team has essential know-how in genetics and animal breeding; and Univ. Bergen (Norway) is proficient in the area of animal health and prophylactic strategies.
Clear strategies are defined to raise staff´s research profile and excellence by implementing training workshops and Summer schools led by the partners. Several visits of CIIMAR´s staff to partners facilities are planned, targeting senior research, technical and administrative training, allowing the exchange of knowledge and good practices. The research project, integrating partners scientific and technical strengths, will in focus in the high economic impactful viral and parasitic outbreaks in aquaculture, studying the prophylactic effects of functional diets in rainbow trout against haemorrhagic septicaemia virus, and in Atlantic salmon infected sea lice parasite.
This proposal outlines strategies to increase stakeholder interaction and its mobilization towards scientific achievements, strengthening CIIMAR’s market-driven research and innovation capacity to increase its competitivity at national and international levels.
GRINNAQUA will be instrumental to improve CIIMAR innovation capacity to become a leading institute for the blue revolution in aquaculture. A long-lasting collaboration is foreseen, contributing to strengthen a more sustainable aquaculture in Europe.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support ActionsCoordinator
4450 208 Matosinhos
Portugal