New value chain at IMTA lab Scotland: Public deliverable report D2.5

This deliverable was created as part of work package (WP) 2 ‘New IMTA value chains and production methods’ of the EU H2020 All Atlantic Ocean Sustainable, Profitable and Resilient Aquaculture (ASTRAL) project and addresses the production value chain of IMTA Lab Scotland.

The overall objective was to develop and validate cost-effective low-trophic aquaculture (LTA) in an open water system. To achieve this, a total of nine species have been produced or introduced at IMTA Lab Scotland; including five seaweed (three brown i.e. kelp and one red species), three bivalve mollusc and one echinoderm species, and assessed for their overall prospective applicability for open water LTA.

This deliverable reports on all experimental trials undertaken during the lifespan of the project, consisting of ‘cultivation optimisation’ trials for well-established kelp species at site (Alaria esculenta, Saccharina latissima) and ‘proof-of concept’ trials for species that have been newly added to the system (seaweed: Laminaria digitata, Saccorhiza polyschides (kelp), Palmaria palmata (red); bivalve molluscs: Ostrea edulis (oyster), Pecten maximus and Aequipecten opercularis (scallop); echinoderm: Echinus esculentus (sea urchin)).