New Projects

Projects part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the INTERREG IIIC Programme A co-operation between the regions of Galicia in Spain , Border,Midland and Western (BMW) in Ireland and Trøndelag in Norway

Project 1:

Bio-purification: Reducing the environmental impact of land based aquaculture through cultivation of seaweeds. (Acronym Biopuralg)

• Lead partner: Irish Seaweed Center - MRI, National University of Ireland, Galway (BMW)
• Contact person: Dr Robert Wilkes (Post Doc) and Mr Jim Morrissey (Research Assistant)
• Project Partner 1: SINTEF (Trondelag)
• Contact person: Dr Ingrid Salvesen
• Project Partner 2: Oyster Creek Seafoods Ltd. Oranmore, Ireland (BMW)
• Contact person: Mr Michael Irwin
• Total Budget: €229.859
• Project takes place at ISC, Carna Marine Laboratories, Oyster Creek Oranmore and Sintef, Trodelag (2004-2006).

Synopsis

Discharge of nutrients and low-quality water from finfish and shellfish rearing in land based culitivation systems is a major concern everywhere. Marine algae are able to act as bio-filters and remove many of these pollutants from the (discharge) waters. The principle is to direct effluent water from rearing ponds into tanks in which unattached seaweeds are maintained in permanent motion using aeration. This allows for the production of value added seaweed species as sources of cosmetics, pharmaceutical, fine chemicals, biomedicines, food and animal feed, while producing a clean waste water effluent.Protein is the principal source of nitrogenous pollution in fish and shellfish aquaculture, either from excess feed or excretions and reaches the water, mainly as dissolved ammonia.The removal of this pollution is possible using marine algae as bio-filters. The water from aquaculture ponds is high in ammonia and phosphorous and can be stripped from the water by seaweed at rates varying from 60% up to 90% of the nutrient input. The SME partners in this proposal is concerned of the levels in his discharge water from the oyster holding units. Introduction of a seaweed bio-filter can resolve his problem while producing another value added product, i.e., seaweed biomass. The chalange of this project will be testing different algal species to find the optimum species to be used in terms of both nutrient uptake and value added product. Screening different promising macroalgae species for specific components or chemical constituents will form an important part of the proposed work.

Project 2:

Approach to a sustainable exploitation of carrageenan seaweed resources in Galicia and Ireland (Acronym Carasea)

• Lead Partner Marine Resources Department-Galician Ministry of Fisheries (Galicia)
• Project partner 1:CETMAR (Galicia)
• Project Partner 2:University of Santiago (Galicia)
• Project Partner 3:Irish Seaweed Centre (MRI-NUIG) (BMW)ISC funding €108.045
• Contact person: Dr Stefan Kraan and Mr Jim Morrissey
• Total Budget:€274.942

The study will asses the state of the population of the carrageenophyte red algae and compare the dynamics of exploited and unexploited populations. Moreover, a regeneration of simulated exploited populations with different harvesting methods will be assessed in order to determine the impact of the harvesting activity and the dynamics of recuperation and productivity. A second objective of the study will be to determine if differences in the carrageenan production and composition exist between populations and to determine if these differences are based on genetic variations.Recent demand for Chondrus crispus, and similar Carageenan producing algae, is high reflecting the expanding domestic and international markets for healthfood as well as its increasing use in biotechnologyIreland has a long tradition of seaweed use, especially in the use of the carrageenophyte Chondrus crispus. In Galicia the exploitation of the carrageenophytes began in the1960's and at the present it represents 80 % of the seaweed harvested.A better understanding of the existing natural stocks of this commercially important red algae is essential for the future development and employment within this area of the Carageenophyte sector as well in Ireland as in Galicia.The present status of the resource justifies the realization of this study

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