Project description
Next generation aquaculture systems
Half of the seafood consumed is farmed. However, today’s industrial aquaculture faces problems such as high water use, disease risk, and reliance on fishmeal and fish oil. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SwitchFloc project aims to make aquaculture more sustainable through biofloc technology. This technology recycles carbon and nitrogen waste into beneficial biomass, reduces water needs, and boosts animal health. Specifically, it combines research and training from various fields, focusing on species that already thrive in biofloc systems, as well as on new species. The project will also train a new generation of aquaculture experts who can lead low-impact and efficient production.
Objective
Aquaculture provides more than half of the world's seafood protein, but it faces challenges such as water demand and eutrophication, biosecurity or dependence on fishmeal/oil. Therefore, novel systems with low environmental impact are required to meet these challenges. Biofloc technology (BFT) is a novel aquaculture system that can recycle the C and N waste into valuable biomass suitable to be used on-site as a nourishing food source, reducing the need for aquafeeds and enhancing animal immune system. The N conversion into microbial fraction allows minimal water exchange, reducing water requirements. Moreover, BFT ensures biosecurity due to the absence of communication among tanks. However, BFT is still a relatively new technology, and needs to be better understood, mainly under intensive conditions. Besides, BFT is a complex multidisciplinary system, and the lack of qualified professionals is the main barrier to its implementation in Europe. SwitchFloc will face BFT challenges through an interdisciplinary and intersectoral research and training programme, including international secondments and a series of network-wide training events. SwitchFloc will focus both on species well adapted to BFT and species new to BFT and will improve aquafeed formulation and manufacturing, as well as animal health by promoting beneficial microorganisms into biofloc. Additionally, BFT sustainability and financial viability will be enhanced by the combination with IMTA and hydroponic systems (FlocPonics), analysis of carbon footprint, search of potential market opportunities and food quality assessments. SwitchFloc will train outstanding researchers in sustainable and intensive aquaculture production and will have deep technological impact in aquaculture by providing a new generation of BFT supporting technologies. In addition, SwitchFloc will impact economy and the environment by reducing artificial feed and water exchange, culminating in the production of fresh zero-km product.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
46022 Valencia
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.