Offshore Low-trophic Aquaculture in Multi-Use scenario Realisation OLAMUR
This project addresses the European Commissions Call for Proposal: Lighthouse in the Baltic and the North Sea basins – Low impact marine aquaculture and multi-purpose use of marine space
Global food security, human health and well-being are at serious jeopardy as marine resource production can no longer be sustained by ecosystems and natural fisheries production only. Broad evidence supports the potential of low trophic aquatic food to reduce food and nutrition insecurity in a changing climate, delivering essential ecosystem services and enabling achieving UN SDGs. Expansion of low trophic aquaculture (LTA) for increasing seafood production are faced with opportunities in unexploited regions and environments and maximizing benefits of marine space by considering low impact multi-use (MU) of space such as combining wind farm areas and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). The main objective of OLAMUR (Offshore Low-trophic Aquaculture in Multi-Use scenario Realisation) is to bring together MU-LTA related key sectors, to demonstrate sustainable commercial solutions for both the North and the Baltic Sea.
Through a transdisciplinary holistic approach, OLAMUR will ensure severe contributions towards demonstrating and documenting the possibilities for low impact co-use of the marine space. A data-based service system will be developed for policymakers for knowledge-based decisions, and innovative governance/policy arrangements will be developed towards achieving a holistic, effective and sustainable solution for multiple uses. OLAMUR will focus on 3 pilots that will serve as testing and demonstration sites. An important pathway towards impact in OLAMUR is the science-policy-industry-community interface. With that OLAMUR ensures advancement in developing optimal and carbon-neutral use and enabling a quantum leap towards long term sustainable, healthy and rich European marine spaces.
OLAMUR will address and solve key bottlenecks hampering the development of commercially viable and sustainable offshore low trophic aquaculture (LTA) in wind or fish farms and thereby enhancing a sustainable LTA production in the EU. To reach this ambitious goal, a multidisciplinary team will address long distance monitoring of offshore farms using sensors and robotics, marine spatial planning for multi-use, environmental assessment, biomass quality and safety, governance, sustainability and product footprints along the value-chain. The focus will be on non-fed, low trophic level species (seaweed and bivalves) in order to limit environmental impact and to contribute to a more sustainable food system.
OLAMUR will greatly contribute towards the development of a commercially viable offshore LTA sector within wind farms to optimally and synergistically co-use maritime space through: deployment and evaluation of state-of -the-art offshore seaweed and bivalve culture systems, develop protocols for long distance monitoring of offshore farms to minimize the use of fossil fuels, develop data-based service systems for relevant stakeholders, reducing the environmental footprint and ensure safety of feed and food in the EU and advance professional skills and competences in offshore farming. OLAMUR will contribute to implementation of the Farm to Fork strategy to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly. The demonstration sites and data-based service systems will offer farmers the tools and data needed to develop a commercially viable sector and harvest potential offshore aquaculture offers. OLAMUR responds to the concerns of both industry and citizens on environmental footprints of food, improving social acceptance.
Wind energy and Nature-based solutions integrated at sea
Contact:
Marianne Thomsen
Researchers
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search in Name | Search in Title | Search in Phone | |
| Karsten Olsen | Associate Professor | +4535333201 | |
| Irsa Anwar | PhD Fellow | ||
| Marianne Thomsen | Professor | +4535323876 |
Funded by:
OLAMUR has received a four year funding from Danmarks Innovationsfonden
Budget: 8 million Euro
Project: Offshore Low-trophic Aquaculture in Multi-Use scenario Realisation (OLAMUR)
Period: 01.01.2023 to 21.12.2026