Project Details
Description
Investment in seaweed aquaculture can provide additional nutrition for a growing human population while at the same time addressing the problems of climate change by reducing reliance on other, more energy intensive farming practices (Mazarrasa et al., 2014). The red seaweed Palmaria palmata, commonly known as dulse, has the highest reported protein content among seaweed cultivars, comparable to the protein content of soybeans (Stéévant et al., 2023), and containing all essential amino acids. This species provides a rich, umami-flavour that when dried has been compared to bacon and there is a long tradition of eating it in some European countries.
A vital prerequisite for a durable and effective aquaculture industry of Palmaria palmata is the ability to control sexual reproduction and spore development. This project proposes to leverage the pre-existing seaweed expertise at Nofima (Norway), DTU Aqua (Denmark), and University of Gothenburg (Sweden) for application on the seaweed species that is the most commercially valuable by weight in European markets. It will take techniques that are well established for cultivation of other seaweed groups and apply them to P. palmata, and from these develop novel techniques that are specialized to the needs of this more complex life cycle, and simultaneously allow these techniques to be evaluated in the light of any local variation between populations.
Funding
The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers Fisheries Cooperation.
Research area: Coastal Ecology
Research area: Coastal Ecology
Acronym | DULCE |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Effective start/end date | 01/06/2024 → 31/05/2025 |
Collaborative partners
- Technical University of Denmark
- Nofima AS (lead)
- University of Gothenburg
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