Introduction
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 (SDG 2) in a changing climate, while we hypothesize restorative impacts on natural ecosystem services by contributing to SDG 12, 13 and 14.
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 offshore wind farm (OWF) areas and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA).
Details of the project
In the following, the EU-funded OLAMUR (Offshore Low-trophic Aquaculture in Multi-Use Scenario Realisation) project will be presented. The main objective of OLAMUR is to bring together MU-LTA related key sectors, to demonstrate sustainable commercial solutions for both the North and the Baltic Sea. All data, information, products and standards for establishing, operating and evaluating will be monitored, simulated, stored and customized as an “OLAMUR digital MU-LTA farm service” (Fig. 1). This will provide a solid basis for MU-LTA upscaling. Through a transdisciplinary holistic approach, OLAMUR will ensure substantial contributions towards demonstrating and documenting the possibilities for low impact co-use of the marine space. Multi-disciplinary data will be collected and integrated from the demonstration sites via monitoring and modelling efforts. A databased 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 three pilots that will serve as testing and demonstration sites. Two of these pilot studies are located in the Baltic Sea (Denmark and Estonia) and one study is being conducted in the North Sea (Germany) (Fig. 2). Strategies are being developed for multi-use of OWF and seaweed as well as bivalve aquaculture, and the combination of existing fish farms and the multi-use with seaweed and mussels.
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.
Funding Details
The OLAMUR project has 25 partners from eight nations, which deal with the topics of technical realization in the wind farms, as well as site selection, LTA performance, environmental monitoring, and much more. The OLAMUR project is funded by the European Union, grant no. 101094065.