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Multi-use of offshore wind farms with low-trophic aquaculture could provide sustainable energy, nutritious seafood, and restorative ecosystem services through nutrients and carbon capture and utilization. In a transition zone between marine and brackish seas, our model predicted that allocating 10% of projected wind farm areas to blue mussel and sugar kelp aquaculture in the North Sea - Baltic Sea transition zone could yield 18 t-fresh weight ha−1 yr−1. Total carbon captured and harvested from seaweed biomass and mussel shells would equal 40% of the carbon dioxide emissions from the Danish agricultural sector. Furthermore, global aquaculture production is projected to increase by 132% compared to current production. With technological and regulatory challenges still to be addressed, these findings demonstrate a vast potential of multi-use in offshore areas, which can generate blue biomass with fewer user conflicts, while mitigating eutrophication and climate change, thereby supporting multiple global sustainable development goals.

Multi-use of offshore wind farms with low-trophic aquaculture could provide sustainable energy, nutritious seafood, and restorative ecosystem services through nutrients and carbon capture and utilization. In a transition zone between marine and brackish seas, our model predicted that allocating 10% of projected wind farm areas to blue mussel and sugar kelp aquaculture in the North Sea - Baltic Sea transition zone could yield 18 t-fresh weight ha−1 yr−1. Total carbon captured and harvested from seaweed biomass and mussel shells would equal 40% of the carbon dioxide emissions from the Danish agricultural sector. Furthermore, global aquaculture production is projected to increase by 132% compared to current production. With technological and regulatory challenges still to be addressed, these findings demonstrate a vast potential of multi-use in offshore areas, which can generate blue biomass with fewer user conflicts, while mitigating eutrophication and climate change, thereby supporting multiple global sustainable development goals.

In Europe, turbot aquaculture has a high potential for sustainable production, but the low tolerance to fishmeal replacement in the diet represents a big issue. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of more sustainable feed formulations on growth and feed performance, as well as nutritional status of juvenile turbot in recirculating aquaculture systems. In a 16-week feeding trial with 20 g juvenile turbot, one control diet containing traditional fishmeal, fish oil and soy products and two experimental diets where 20% of the fishmeal was replaced either with processed animal proteins (PAP) or with terrestrial plant proteins (PLANT) were tested. Irrespective of diets, growth performance was similar between groups, whereas the feed performance was significantly reduced in fish of the PAP group compared to the control. Comparing growth, feed utilisation and biochemical parameters, the results indicate that the fish fed on PAP diet had the lowest performance. Fish fed the PLANT diet had similar feed utilisation compared to the control, whereas parameters of the nutritional status, such as condition factor, hepato-somatic index and glycogen content showed reduced levels after 16 weeks. These effects in biochemical parameters are within the physiological range and therefore not the cause of negative performance. Since growth was unaffected, the lower feed performance of fish that were fed the PAP formulation might be balanced by the cost efficient formulation in comparison to the commercial and the PLANT formulations. Present study highlights the suitability of alternative food formulation for farmed fish.

To limit compromising the integrity of the planet, a shift is needed towards food production with low environmental impacts and low carbon footprint. How to put such transformative change towards sustainable food production whilst ensuring food security into practice remains a challenge and will require transdisciplinary approaches. Combining expertise from natural- and social sciences as well as industry perspectives, an alternative vision for the future in the marine realm is proposed. This vision includes moving towards aquaculture mainly of low trophic marine (LTM) species. Such shift may enable a blue transformation that can support a sustainable blue economy. It includes a whole new perspective and proactive development of policy-making which considers, among others, the context-specific nature of allocation of marine space and societal acceptance of new developments, over and above the decarbonization of food production, vis á vis reducing regulatory barriers for the industry for LTM whilst acknowledging the complexities of upscaling and outscaling. This needs to be supported by transdisciplinary research co-produced with consumers and wider public, as a blue transformation towards accelerating LTM aquaculture opportunities in a net zero-carbon world can only occur by considering the demands of society.

To limit compromising the integrity of the planet, a shift is needed towards food production with low environmental impacts and low carbon footprint. How to put such transformative change towards sustainable food production whilst ensuring food security into practice remains a challenge and will require transdisciplinary approaches. Combining expertise from natural- and social sciences as well as industry perspectives, an alternative vision for the future in the marine realm is proposed. This vision includes moving towards aquaculture mainly of low trophic marine (LTM) species. Such shift may enable a blue transformation that can support a sustainable blue economy. It includes a whole new perspective and proactive development of policy-making which considers, among others, the context-specific nature of allocation of marine space and societal acceptance of new developments, over and above the decarbonization of food production, vis a vis reducing regulatory barriers for the industry for LTM whilst acknowledging the complexities of upscaling and outscaling. This needs to be supported by transdisciplinary research co-produced with consumers and wider public, as a blue transformation towards accelerating LTM aquaculture opportunities in a net zero-carbon world can only occur by considering the demands of society., QC 20220627

The use of single-use packaging materials has increased dramatically in recent decades in parallel with increasing trends in convenience and fast-food. Most of these packaging materials are made of non-biodegradable, petroleum-based polymers that have degradative impacts on the environment and contribute to the global plastic pollution crisis. Finding alternative packaging materials is an important step towards building a bio-based circular economy. Sustainable land-based macroalgae cultivation can provide a solution, as it eliminates land-use pressure on coastal areas, doesn’t interfere with recreational activities or agriculture, reduces seasonal limitations, allows for complete control over product quality, and ensures consistent quality and traceability. Here, we present the success story of land-based macroalgae production for sustainable packaging solutions in the food industry via the Mak-Pak and Mak-Pak Scale-Up projects

The mission of the Mak Pak Scale Up project 2021 present) is to develop a seaweed based food packaging material and to sustainably scale up the production of seaweed, including Ulva spp in a recirculating land based facility supplemented with artificial seawater that requires a selection and optimization of the seaweed of interest The Ulva genus has previously shown high plasticity and capacity to acclimate and develop under broad ranges of environmental conditions, suggesting this may be a promising candidate for production in a RAS with low salinity artificial seawater Selecting an Ulva strain well adapted to such conditions will help reduce the costs of salt and, therefore, optimize production The aim of this study was to determine how salinity can be used and adapted throughout the entire Ulva production to define several key points 1 strain selection 2 nursery and seeding 3 optimized production in adult Ulva and 4 increasing functionality (e g high antioxidant activity) Based on the results of three different experiments, it was possible to conclude how salinity impacts different strains of Ulva (tubular and blade species) from warm temperate environments, during three key moments of their development and with that, conclude which strains would be more suited to be scaled up within the scope of land based production At the same time, the data presented serve as a baseline for further work with Ulva under different cultivation conditions

In Europe, turbot aquaculture has a high potential for sustainable production, but the low tolerance to fishmeal replacement in the diet represents a big issue. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of more sustainable feed formulations on growth and feed performance, as well as nutritional status of juvenile turbot in recirculating aquaculture systems. In a 16-week feeding trial with 20 g juvenile turbot, one control diet containing traditional fishmeal, fish oil and soy products and two experimental diets where 20% of the fishmeal was replaced either with processed animal proteins (PAP) or with terrestrial plant proteins (PLANT) were tested. Irrespective of diets, growth performance was similar between groups, whereas the feed performance was significantly reduced in fish of the PAP group compared to the control. Comparing growth, feed utilisation and biochemical parameters, the results indicate that the fish fed on PAP diet had the lowest performance. Fish fed the PLANT diet had similar feed utilisation compared to the control, whereas parameters of the nutritional status, such as condition factor, hepato-somatic index and glycogen content showed reduced levels after 16 weeks. These effects in biochemical parameters are within the physiological range and therefore not the cause of negative performance. Since growth was unaffected, the lower feed performance of fish that were fed the PAP formulation might be balanced by the cost efficient formulation in comparison to the commercial and the PLANT formulations. Present study highlights the suitability of alternative food formulation for farmed fish.

With regard to the current climate crisis, offshore wind energy in particular is developing into an increasingly important sustainable resource for energy production in order to replace fossil fuels in the future. The foundations of the individual wind turbines create a reef effect and provide a habitat for organisms that would not naturally occur on the predominantly sandy seabed of the southern North Sea. Through artificial hard substrates, settlement and development processes of so-called biofouling organisms can be observed and documented. During the construction of such plants, load coefficients caused by fouling organisms have to be taken into account. Until now, these load coefficients have always been estimated, since no suitable studies exist to calculate the values accurately. Therefore, within the EnviSim4Mare project, a seawater wave and flow channel is constructed for the first time in Germany to perform measurements on suitable test bodies with fouling. To ensure standardized sampling for the evaluation of fouling communities, two artificial hard substrates were developed and deposited at an exposed offshore (Nordergründe wind farm) and sheltered site (north-east harbour of Helgoland). This bachelor thesis presents and discusses the compiled results of the development (with consideration of different environmental conditions) deployment, handling during sampling as well as the developed emergent communities of the two systems. A sampling period of two years (May to December 2021 and April to October 2022) was considered. Monitoring under real conditions of biofouling communities will provide information on the seasonal and spatial settlement processes as well as composition of individual taxa and show which organisms exhibit dominant characteristics. Three habitats were distinguished between the two sites: Nordergründe sublittoral (underwater), Helgoland eulittoral (intertidal) and Helgoland sublittoral. Through morpho taxonomic analyses three biofouli

With regard to the current climate crisis, offshore wind energy in particular is developing into an increasingly important sustainable resource for energy production in order to replace fossil fuels in the future. The foundations of the individual wind turbines create a reef effect and provide a habitat for organisms that would not naturally occur on the predominantly sandy seabed of the southern North Sea. Through artificial hard substrates, settlement and development processes of so-called biofouling organisms can be observed and documented. During the construction of such plants, load coefficients caused by fouling organisms have to be taken into account. Until now, these load coefficients have always been estimated, since no suitable studies exist to calculate the values accurately. Therefore, within the EnviSim4Mare project, a seawater wave and flow channel is constructed for the first time in Germany to perform measurements on suitable test bodies with fouling. To ensure standardized sampling for the evaluation of fouling communities, two artificial hard substrates were developed and deposited at an exposed offshore (Nordergründe wind farm) and sheltered site (north-east harbour of Helgoland). This bachelor thesis presents and discusses the compiled results of the development (with consideration of different environmental conditions) deployment, handling during sampling as well as the developed emergent communities of the two systems. A sampling period of two years (May to December 2021 and April to October 2022) was considered. Monitoring under real conditions of biofouling communities will provide information on the seasonal and spatial settlement processes as well as composition of individual taxa and show which organisms exhibit dominant characteristics. Three habitats were distinguished between the two sites: Nordergründe sublittoral (underwater), Helgoland eulittoral (intertidal) and Helgoland sublittoral. Through morpho taxonomic analyses three biofouli

To limit compromising the integrity of the planet, a shift is needed towards food production with low environmental impacts and low carbon footprint. How to put such transformative change towards sustainable food production whilst ensuring food security into practice remains a challenge and will require transdisciplinary approaches. Combining expertise from natural- and social sciences as well as industry perspectives, an alternative vision for the future in the marine realm is proposed. This vision includes moving towards aquaculture mainly of low trophic marine (LTM) species. Such shift may enable a blue transformation that can support a sustainable blue economy. It includes a whole new perspective and proactive development of policy-making which considers, among others, the context-specific nature of allocation of marine space and societal acceptance of new developments, over and above the decarbonization of food production, vis á vis reducing regulatory barriers for the industry for LTM whilst acknowledging the complexities of upscaling and outscaling. This needs to be supported by transdisciplinary research co-produced with consumers and wider public, as a blue transformation towards accelerating LTM aquaculture opportunities in a net zero-carbon world can only occur by considering the demands of society.

The purpose of this publication is to perform a system analysis of new cultivation technology for exposed bivalve farming. The technical feasibility of the new construction, called Shellfish Tower, was assessed. The device has gone through several very different phases of development on its way to the deployment of the prototype. These included multiple iterations during the designing stage, wave tank testing, fabrication, loading and unloading on trucks and vessels, deployment at sea, installation and assembly on the single mooring line, and bring it to its final position in a submerged mode 5m-10 m below the water surface. The final structure has a hexagonal body, with a centrally orientated variable buoyancy unit with culture sub-units on each of the six corners. These sub-units can be used for the culture of oysters (Magallana gigas – formally Crassostrea gigas) as well as for the collection of mussel spat (Perna canaliculus). Other possible candidates could be seaweed, lobsters, sponges or tunicates. The operational depth of the whole system can be at any depth but was tested at between 5 and 10 m below the water surface positioned on the mooring line between the screw anchor and surface floats for the prototype tests. The system was deployed in March 2019 six nautical miles off the Bay of Plenty, North Island (New Zealand), in exposed waters near a commercial mussel farm and has been in test mode since then. The modelled structure indicates a design tolerance of significant wave height of over 7 m and currents of over 0.8 m/s. Initial results show that the new design has survived waves at 4.6 m significant height and current velocities of up to 0.7 m•s-1, while showing best growth conditions of the cultured oysters as well as for the spat settlement of juvenile greenshell™ mussels.

Aquaculture is projected to be a major supplier of marine proteins to large parts of the global population. This includes bivalves, which have a high potential to offset protein deficits, as they are highly adaptable to varying water temperature, salinity, desiccation, and oxygen conditions. This work is part of a two-piece contribution on novel marine aquaculture technology and details physical laboratory tests of a new cultivation system for bivalve farming called “Shellfish Tower”. The tested 1:20 model consists of a rectangular cage (2 × 2 m prototype scale) with a central buoyancy element and a height of 2 – 4 m. Testing was done in a current flume as well as a wave basin for current velocities between 0.4 – 2.2 m/s and wave heights of 1.6 to 5.0 m with periods between 5 to 14 s. The tests were conducted to prove the feasibility and functionality of this aquaculture system, which is usable for the collection and cultivation of mussel spat as well as for the grow-out of oysters, scallops, and seaweed in marine environments. Tests carried out in a current flume revealed that drag coefficients decrease with increasing current velocities, and range from Cd=0.5 to 2.5, while the mooring inclination increases from 12° to 84° with increasing flow velocity, which is highly dependant on the buoyancy related pretension. The examination of the mooring line tensions recorded in a wave basin showed that the largest values of snap-induced tension were up to 10 times that of the semi-static tension. The maximum-recorded tension on the system was 48 kN for a single and 89 kN for a double configuration, compared to non-snap tension values, which were in the range of 6 – 10 kN. The insights gathered in this study will inform the future design of aquaculture systems in high-energy environments and allow for an integration into numerical models.

Marine aquaculture holds great promise for meeting increasing demand for healthy protein that is sustainably produced, but reaching necessary production levels will be challenging. The ecosystem approach to aquaculture is a framework for sustainable aquaculture development that prioritizes multiple-stakeholder participation and spatial planning. These types of approaches have been increasingly used to help guide sustainable, persistent, and equitable aquaculture planning, but most countries have difficulties in setting or meeting longer-term development goals. Scenario analysis (SA) for future planning uses similar approaches and can complement holistic methods, such as the ecosystem approach to aquaculture framework, by providing a temporal analogue to the spatially robust design. Here we define the SA approach to planning in aquaculture, outline how SA can benefit aquaculture planning, and review how this tool is already being used. We track the use of planning tools in the 20 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea member nations, with particular attention given to Norway’s development goals to 2050. We conclude that employing a combination of an ecosystem framework with scenario analyses may help identify the scale of development aquaculture goals over time, aid in evaluating the feasibility of the desired outcomes, and highlight potential social-ecological conflicts and trade-offs that may otherwise be overlooked.

Against the background of a drastically increased demand of marine proteins, off-bottom, bivalve aquaculture, provides significant potential for production growth when moved into more energetic marine waters. Hence, research, industry and politics are currently proposing the development of new offshore sites. The highly energetic conditions at these sites present a challenging environment for bivalve aquaculture. In this work, physical experiments of suspended bivalves provide new knowledge on the commonly used design parameters: the drag and inertia coefficients. Live bivalves and manufactured surrogate models at a 1:1 scale were tested in a towing tank as well as under waves. The drag coefficient of live blue mussels was determined to be Cd = 1.6 for Reynolds numbers between 2.3 × 104 and 1.4 × 105. The inertia coefficient obtained from the wave tests was Cm = 2.1 for Keulegan Carpenter numbers KC < 10. In a pursuit to better understand the differences between live mussels and surrogates in laboratory conditions, the analysis revealed that appropriate surrogates can be identified. A method to determine the characteristic diameter of mussel dropper lines is suggested. The results facilitate the future design of aquaculture systems in high-energy environments and allow for an integration into numerical models.

The value of macroalgae in a healthy human diet is becoming increasingly recognized and supported throughout Europe. Macroalgae provide a rich source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fatty acids, and antioxidants that also support the functionality of macroalgae in other industries, including cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and more recently, packaging. Sustainable aquaculture of macroalgae will be necessary to supply the increasing demand for macroalgae as a functional material, considering that natural harvests are limited and cannot keep up with demand. Different methods can be used to cultivate macroalgae, including flow-through systems or recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) with natural or artificial seawater. The latter provides strict control over the growth conditions and water quality in order to provide a high quality and traceable product. Additionally, environmental conditions such as salinity, temperature, and light can be modified to optimize the concentration of functional ingredients in macroalgae. While most research efforts have focused on seasonal and geographic trends in concentrations of functional ingredients in wild macroalgae, there is less information available on optimizing these functional ingredients in aquaculture. Therefore, we performed controlled experiments to optimize the activity of antioxidants in Agarophyton vermiculophyllum (Ohmi) Gurgel, J.N.Norris et Fredericq comb. nov. (formerly Gracilaria vermiculophylla) grown in RAS with artificial seawater and commercial fertilizer. We show that the free radical scavenging activity could be increased by 13% via high salinity, and up to 34% by increasing the light intensity, but not daily light dose, for a period of 7 days. We also monitored growth rates and the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and show that the conditions for optimizing antioxidant activity are not optimal for growth or photosynthesis. We therefore suggest an optimization period of 4–7 days exposure t

This paper examines the concept of maritime multi-use as a territorial/SPATIAL governance instrument for the enhancement of sustainable development in five EU sea basins. Multi-use (MU) is expected to enhance the productivity of blue economy sectors, as well as deliver additional socio-economic benefits related to the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development. The paper provides a definition of maritime multi-use and identifies the multi-uses with the highest potential in EU sea basins. In each sea basin, multi-use plays a different role as concerns sustainable development. For the Eastern Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, the MU focus should remain on the environmental pillar of sustainable development. In the North Sea, North Atlantic and Western Baltic Sea, addressing social sustainability seems a key precondition for success of MU in enhancement of sustainable spatial development at sea. Moreover, it has been suggested to introduce MU key global strategies such as SDGs or Macroregional strategies and action plans and to supplement maritime spatial planning with sectoral incentives and educational efforts as key vehicles supporting MU. The paper concludes by identifying aspects which, in order to inform maritime spatial planning and maritime governance regarding a more conscious application of the aforementioned concept, require further investigation. Key tasks are related to: more profound evaluation of performance of policies supporting MUs, researching the impact of MU on societal goals and on the MU costs and benefits, including external ones, and finally identifying the impact of MU on the development of various sectors and regions on land.

Coastal seas around the world are under increasing anthropogenic pressures due to the rapid expansion of maritime industry and coastal urbanisation. Multi-use (MU) of ocean space, meaning the use of the same space by multiple resource users, has emerged as one strategy to address spatial conflicts resulting from an increasing use density. The proposed multi-use of offshore wind farms (OWF) and mariculture (MAQ) is one of the most-researched examples of such a potentially symbiotic relationship. Two decades of public and academic discourse have produced an abundance of research regarding various facets of this particular combination. Nevertheless, the latest research projects of the EUs Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme have identified a number of persistent barriers to continued multi-use development. The past and current public discourse has created a situation where technological readiness has outpaced societal readiness and the discussion is often complicated by the diversity of backgrounds and perceptions of the participants of this discourse. This study aims to dissect the common discourse on OWF and mariculture multi-use by utilising a targeted SWOT analysis approach based on stakeholder knowledge. This approach reveals two distinct narratives based around societal and economic considerations respectively. From this, we derive a set of tailor-made recommendations for policy makers and regulators as well as funding agencies, businesses and researchers.

Offshore wind power generation requires large areas of sea to accommodate its activities, with increasing claims for exclusive access. As a result, pressure is placed on other established maritime uses, such as commercial fisheries. The latter sector has often been taking a back seat in the thrust to move energy production offshore, thus leading to disagreements and conflicts among the different stakeholder groups. In recognition of the latter, there has been a growing international interest in exploring the combination of multiple maritime activities in the same area (multi-use; MU), including the re-instatement of fishing activities within, or in close proximity to, offshore wind farms (OWFs). We summarise local stakeholder perspectives from two sub-national case studies (East coast of Scotland and Germany's North Sea EEZ) to scope the feasibility of combining multiple uses of the sea, such as offshore wind farms and commercial fisheries. We combined a desk-based review with 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews with key knowledge holders from both industries, regulators, and academia to aggregate key results. Drivers, barriers and resulting effects (positive and negative) for potential multi-use of fisheries and OWFs are listed and ranked (57 factors in total). Factors are of economic, social, policy, legal, and technical nature. To date, in both case study areas, the offshore wind industry has shown little interest in multi-use solutions, unless clear added value is demonstrated and no risks to their operations are involved. In contrast, the commercial fishing sector is proactive towards multi-use projects and acts as a driving force for MU developments. We provide a range of management recommendations, based on stakeholder input, to support progress towards robust decision making in relation to multi-use solutions, including required policy and regulatory framework improvements, good practice guidance, empirical studies, capacity building of stakeholders an

Aquaculture development in Europe, while critical to the European Union (EU) Blue Growth strategy, has stagnated over the past decades due largely to high competition for space in the nearshore coastal zone among potential uses and the lack of clear priorities, policy, and planning at EU and national scales. Broad Marine Spatial Planning, including the designation of Allocated Zones for Aquaculture, requires spatial data at the corresponding broad spatial scale, which has not been readily available, as well as model projections to assess potential impacts of climate change. Here, daily chlorophyll-a, water temperature, salinity, and current speed outputs from a marine ecosystem model encompassing the coastal North East Atlantic, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea (the pan-European POLCOMS-ERSEM model configuration) are used to drive a Dynamic Energy Budget growth model of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Areas broadly suitable for growth were identified using threshold tolerance range masking applied using the model variables mentioned above, as well as bathymetry data. Oyster growth time series were transformed into simplified indicators that are meaningful to the industry (e.g., time to market weight) and mapped. In addition to early-century indicator maps, modelling and mapping were also carried out for two contrasting late-century climate change projections, following representative concentration pathways 4.5 and 8.5. Areas found to have good oyster growth potential now and into the future were further assessed in terms of their climate robustness (i.e., where oyster growth predictions are comparable between different future climate scenarios). Several areas within Europe were highlighted as priority areas for the development of offshore Pacific oyster cultivation, including coastal waters along the French Atlantic, the southern North Sea, and western Scotland and Ireland. A large potential growth hot spot was also identified along northwestern Africa

Introduction The use of single-use packaging materials has increased dramatically in recent decades in parallel with increasing trends in convenience and fast-food. Most of these packaging materials are made of non-biodegradable, petroleum-based polymers that have degradative impacts on the environment and contribute to the global plastic pollution crisis. Finding alternative packaging materials is an important step towards building a bio-based circular economy. Sustainable land-based macroalgae cultivation can provide a solution, as it eliminates land-use pressure on coastal areas, doesn’t interfere with recreational activities or agriculture, reduces seasonal limitations, allows for complete control over product quality, and ensures consistent quality and traceability. Here, we present the success story of land-based macroalgae production for sustainable packaging solutions in the food industry via the Mak-Pak and Mak-Pak Scale-Up projects. Materials and Methods An initial screening of local macroalgae species was conducted based on detailed knowledge of growth rates, seasonality, geographic range, edibility, iodine content, biochemical properties, bioactivity, robustness and ease of cultivation. Different combinations of selected macroalgae were tested to develop a biodegradable, edible packaging prototype that was rated by consumer tests. In a follow-up project, we are focusing on eliminating the biggest bottleneck: scaling-up biomass production. We have partnered with a local, innovative farmer to sustainably scale-up and optimize biomass production for our sustainable, biodegradable macroalgae-based packaging material for the food industry. Results Several species of suitable macroalgae were selected based on the screening protocol and a method for using different combinations of selected species is described in a patent application for the packaging prototype. The packaging prototype was positively reviewed in consumer tests, where the consumers were pleasant

Haben Sie schon einmal darüber nachgedacht, dass Meeresalgen eine Lösung für die weltweite Plastikverschmutzungskrise bieten könnten? Die Verwendung von Einweg-Verpackungsmaterialien hat in den letzten Jahrzehnten parallel zu den zunehmenden Trends in Sachen Convenience und Fast-Food dramatisch zugenommen. Die meisten dieser Verpackungsmaterialien bestehen aus biologisch nicht abbaubaren, erdölbasierten Polymeren, die sich negativ auf die Umwelt auswirken und zur globalen Plastikverschmutzungskrise beitragen. Die Plastikverschmutzung in den Ozeanen zerstört die Ökosysteme und bedroht in der Folge unsere eigene Gesundheit, die Lebensmittelsicherheit und den Küstentourismus. Die Suche nach alternativen Verpackungsmaterialien ist ein wichtiger Schritt zum Aufbau einer biobasierten Kreislaufwirtschaft und zum Erreichen unserer Nachhaltigkeitsziele. Unsere Ozeane könnten eine Lösung in Form von Makroalgen bieten. Das Mak-Pak Scale-Up Projekt konzentriert sich auf die Skalierung und Optimierung der Produktion von Meeresalgen, um nachhaltiges, biologisch abbaubares und/oder essbares Verpackungsmaterial auf Makroalgenbasis für die Fast-Food-Industrie zu schaffen, das potenziell Einweg-Plastikverpackungen ersetzen könnte. Dieser Vortrag stellt das Mak-Pak Scale-Up Projekt vor, einschließlich des Hintergrunds, der wichtigsten Errungenschaften, der aktuellen Aktivitäten und der Zukunftspläne im Rahmen der UN-Nachhaltigkeitsziele und der Kreislaufwirtschaft.

This paper examines the concept of maritime multi-use as a territorial/SPATIAL governance instrument for the enhancement of sustainable development in five EU sea basins. Multi-use (MU) is expected to enhance the productivity of blue economy sectors, as well as deliver additional socio-economic benefits related to the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development. The paper provides a definition of maritime multi-use and identifies the multi-uses with the highest potential in EU sea basins. In each sea basin, multi-use plays a different role as concerns sustainable development. For the Eastern Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, the MU focus should remain on the environmental pillar of sustainable development. In the North Sea, North Atlantic and Western Baltic Sea, addressing social sustainability seems a key precondition for success of MU in enhancement of sustainable spatial development at sea. Moreover, it has been suggested to introduce MU key global strategies such as SDGs or Macroregional strategies and action plans and to supplement maritime spatial planning with sectoral incentives and educational efforts as key vehicles supporting MU. The paper concludes by identifying aspects which, in order to inform maritime spatial planning and maritime governance regarding a more conscious application of the aforementioned concept, require further investigation. Key tasks are related to: more profound evaluation of performance of policies supporting MUs, researching the impact of MU on societal goals and on the MU costs and benefits, including external ones, and finally identifying the impact of MU on the development of various sectors and regions on land.

Marine aquaculture holds great promise for meeting increasing demand for healthy protein that is sustainably produced, but reaching necessary production levels will be challenging. The ecosystem approach to aquaculture is a framework for sustainable aquaculture development that prioritizes multiple-stakeholder participation and spatial planning. These types of approaches have been increasingly used to help guide sustainable, persistent, and equitable aquaculture planning, but most countries have difficulties in setting or meeting longer-term development goals. Scenario analysis (SA) for future planning uses similar approaches and can complement holistic methods, such as the ecosystem approach to aquaculture framework, by providing a temporal analogue to the spatially robust design. Here we define the SA approach to planning in aquaculture, outline how SA can benefit aquaculture planning, and review how this tool is already being used. We track the use of planning tools in the 20 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea member nations, with particular attention given to Norway’s development goals to 2050. We conclude that employing a combination of an ecosystem framework with scenario analyses may help identify the scale of development aquaculture goals over time, aid in evaluating the feasibility of the desired outcomes, and highlight potential social-ecological conflicts and trade-offs that may otherwise be overlooked.

Against the background of a drastically increased demand of marine proteins, off-bottom, bivalve aquaculture, provides significant potential for production growth when moved into more energetic marine waters. Hence, research, industry and politics are currently proposing the development of new offshore sites. The highly energetic conditions at these sites present a challenging environment for bivalve aquaculture. In this work, physical experiments of suspended bivalves provide new knowledge on the commonly used design parameters: the drag and inertia coefficients. Live bivalves and manufactured surrogate models at a 1:1 scale were tested in a towing tank as well as under waves. The drag coefficient of live blue mussels was determined to be Cd = 1.6 for Reynolds numbers between 2.3 × 104 and 1.4 × 105. The inertia coefficient obtained from the wave tests was Cm = 2.1 for Keulegan Carpenter numbers KC < 10. In a pursuit to better understand the differences between live mussels and surrogates in laboratory conditions, the analysis revealed that appropriate surrogates can be identified. A method to determine the characteristic diameter of mussel dropper lines is suggested. The results facilitate the future design of aquaculture systems in high-energy environments and allow for an integration into numerical models.

Aquaculture is projected to be a major supplier of marine proteins to large parts of the global population. This includes bivalves, which have a high potential to offset protein deficits, as they are highly adaptable to varying water temperature, salinity, desiccation, and oxygen conditions. This work is part of a two-piece contribution on novel marine aquaculture technology and details physical laboratory tests of a new cultivation system for bivalve farming called “Shellfish Tower”. The tested 1:20 model consists of a rectangular cage (2 × 2 m prototype scale) with a central buoyancy element and a height of 2 – 4 m. Testing was done in a current flume as well as a wave basin for current velocities between 0.4 – 2.2 m/s and wave heights of 1.6 to 5.0 m with periods between 5 to 14 s. The tests were conducted to prove the feasibility and functionality of this aquaculture system, which is usable for the collection and cultivation of mussel spat as well as for the grow-out of oysters, scallops, and seaweed in marine environments. Tests carried out in a current flume revealed that drag coefficients decrease with increasing current velocities, and range from Cd=0.5 to 2.5, while the mooring inclination increases from 12° to 84° with increasing flow velocity, which is highly dependant on the buoyancy related pretension. The examination of the mooring line tensions recorded in a wave basin showed that the largest values of snap-induced tension were up to 10 times that of the semi-static tension. The maximum-recorded tension on the system was 48 kN for a single and 89 kN for a double configuration, compared to non-snap tension values, which were in the range of 6 – 10 kN. The insights gathered in this study will inform the future design of aquaculture systems in high-energy environments and allow for an integration into numerical models.

The purpose of this publication is to perform a system analysis of new cultivation technology for exposed bivalve farming. The technical feasibility of the new construction, called Shellfish Tower, was assessed. The device has gone through several very different phases of development on its way to the deployment of the prototype. These included multiple iterations during the designing stage, wave tank testing, fabrication, loading and unloading on trucks and vessels, deployment at sea, installation and assembly on the single mooring line, and bring it to its final position in a submerged mode 5m-10 m below the water surface. The final structure has a hexagonal body, with a centrally orientated variable buoyancy unit with culture sub-units on each of the six corners. These sub-units can be used for the culture of oysters (Magallana gigas – formally Crassostrea gigas) as well as for the collection of mussel spat (Perna canaliculus). Other possible candidates could be seaweed, lobsters, sponges or tunicates. The operational depth of the whole system can be at any depth but was tested at between 5 and 10 m below the water surface positioned on the mooring line between the screw anchor and surface floats for the prototype tests. The system was deployed in March 2019 six nautical miles off the Bay of Plenty, North Island (New Zealand), in exposed waters near a commercial mussel farm and has been in test mode since then. The modelled structure indicates a design tolerance of significant wave height of over 7 m and currents of over 0.8 m/s. Initial results show that the new design has survived waves at 4.6 m significant height and current velocities of up to 0.7 m•s-1, while showing best growth conditions of the cultured oysters as well as for the spat settlement of juvenile greenshell™ mussels.

The value of macroalgae in a healthy human diet is becoming increasingly recognized and supported throughout Europe. Macroalgae provide a rich source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fatty acids, and antioxidants that also support the functionality of macroalgae in other industries, including cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and more recently, packaging. Sustainable aquaculture of macroalgae will be necessary to supply the increasing demand for macroalgae as a functional material, considering that natural harvests are limited and cannot keep up with demand. Different methods can be used to cultivate macroalgae, including flow-through systems or recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) with natural or artificial seawater. The latter provides strict control over the growth conditions and water quality in order to provide a high quality and traceable product. Additionally, environmental conditions such as salinity, temperature, and light can be modified to optimize the concentration of functional ingredients in macroalgae. While most research efforts have focused on seasonal and geographic trends in concentrations of functional ingredients in wild macroalgae, there is less information available on optimizing these functional ingredients in aquaculture. Therefore, we performed controlled experiments to optimize the activity of antioxidants in Agarophyton vermiculophyllum (Ohmi) Gurgel, J.N.Norris et Fredericq comb. nov. (formerly Gracilaria vermiculophylla) grown in RAS with artificial seawater and commercial fertilizer. We show that the free radical scavenging activity could be increased by 13% via high salinity, and up to 34% by increasing the light intensity, but not daily light dose, for a period of 7 days. We also monitored growth rates and the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and show that the conditions for optimizing antioxidant activity are not optimal for growth or photosynthesis. We therefore suggest an optimization period of 4–7 days exposure t

Aquaculture development in Europe, while critical to the European Union (EU) Blue Growth strategy, has stagnated over the past decades due largely to high competition for space in the nearshore coastal zone among potential uses and the lack of clear priorities, policy, and planning at EU and national scales. Broad Marine Spatial Planning, including the designation of Allocated Zones for Aquaculture, requires spatial data at the corresponding broad spatial scale, which has not been readily available, as well as model projections to assess potential impacts of climate change. Here, daily chlorophyll-a, water temperature, salinity, and current speed outputs from a marine ecosystem model encompassing the coastal North East Atlantic, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea (the pan-European POLCOMS-ERSEM model configuration) are used to drive a Dynamic Energy Budget growth model of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Areas broadly suitable for growth were identified using threshold tolerance range masking applied using the model variables mentioned above, as well as bathymetry data. Oyster growth time series were transformed into simplified indicators that are meaningful to the industry (e.g., time to market weight) and mapped. In addition to early-century indicator maps, modelling and mapping were also carried out for two contrasting late-century climate change projections, following representative concentration pathways 4.5 and 8.5. Areas found to have good oyster growth potential now and into the future were further assessed in terms of their climate robustness (i.e., where oyster growth predictions are comparable between different future climate scenarios). Several areas within Europe were highlighted as priority areas for the development of offshore Pacific oyster cultivation, including coastal waters along the French Atlantic, the southern North Sea, and western Scotland and Ireland. A large potential growth hot spot was also identified along northwestern Africa

Offshore wind power generation requires large areas of sea to accommodate its activities, with increasing claims for exclusive access. As a result, pressure is placed on other established maritime uses, such as commercial fisheries. The latter sector has often been taking a back seat in the thrust to move energy production offshore, thus leading to disagreements and conflicts among the different stakeholder groups. In recognition of the latter, there has been a growing international interest in exploring the combination of multiple maritime activities in the same area (multi-use; MU), including the re-instatement of fishing activities within, or in close proximity to, offshore wind farms (OWFs). We summarise local stakeholder perspectives from two sub-national case studies (East coast of Scotland and Germany's North Sea EEZ) to scope the feasibility of combining multiple uses of the sea, such as offshore wind farms and commercial fisheries. We combined a desk-based review with 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews with key knowledge holders from both industries, regulators, and academia to aggregate key results. Drivers, barriers and resulting effects (positive and negative) for potential multi-use of fisheries and OWFs are listed and ranked (57 factors in total). Factors are of economic, social, policy, legal, and technical nature. To date, in both case study areas, the offshore wind industry has shown little interest in multi-use solutions, unless clear added value is demonstrated and no risks to their operations are involved. In contrast, the commercial fishing sector is proactive towards multi-use projects and acts as a driving force for MU developments. We provide a range of management recommendations, based on stakeholder input, to support progress towards robust decision making in relation to multi-use solutions, including required policy and regulatory framework improvements, good practice guidance, empirical studies, capacity building of stakeholders an

Coastal seas around the world are under increasing anthropogenic pressures due to the rapid expansion of maritime industry and coastal urbanisation. Multi-use (MU) of ocean space, meaning the use of the same space by multiple resource users, has emerged as one strategy to address spatial conflicts resulting from an increasing use density. The proposed multi-use of offshore wind farms (OWF) and mariculture (MAQ) is one of the most-researched examples of such a potentially symbiotic relationship. Two decades of public and academic discourse have produced an abundance of research regarding various facets of this particular combination. Nevertheless, the latest research projects of the EUs Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme have identified a number of persistent barriers to continued multi-use development. The past and current public discourse has created a situation where technological readiness has outpaced societal readiness and the discussion is often complicated by the diversity of backgrounds and perceptions of the participants of this discourse. This study aims to dissect the common discourse on OWF and mariculture multi-use by utilising a targeted SWOT analysis approach based on stakeholder knowledge. This approach reveals two distinct narratives based around societal and economic considerations respectively. From this, we derive a set of tailor-made recommendations for policy makers and regulators as well as funding agencies, businesses and researchers.

Against the background of a drastically increased demand of marine proteins, off-bottom, bivalve aquaculture, provides significant potential for production growth when moved into more energetic marine waters. Hence, research, industry and politics are currently proposing the development of new offshore sites. The highly energetic conditions at these sites present a challenging environment for bivalve aquaculture. In this work, physical experiments of suspended bivalves provide new knowledge on the commonly used design parameters: the drag and inertia coefficients. Live bivalves and manufactured surrogate models at a 1:1 scale were tested in a towing tank as well as under waves. The drag coefficient of live blue mussels was determined to be Cd = 1.6 for Reynolds numbers between 2.3 × 104 and 1.4 × 105. The inertia coefficient obtained from the wave tests was Cm = 2.1 for Keulegan Carpenter numbers KC < 10. In a pursuit to better understand the differences between live mussels and surrogates in laboratory conditions, the analysis revealed that appropriate surrogates can be identified. A method to determine the characteristic diameter of mussel dropper lines is suggested. The results facilitate the future design of aquaculture systems in high-energy environments and allow for an integration into numerical models.

The purpose of this publication is to perform a system analysis of new cultivation technology for exposed bivalve farming. The technical feasibility of the new construction, called Shellfish Tower, was assessed. The device has gone through several very different phases of development on its way to the deployment of the prototype. These included multiple iterations during the designing stage, wave tank testing, fabrication, loading and unloading on trucks and vessels, deployment at sea, installation and assembly on the single mooring line, and bring it to its final position in a submerged mode 5m-10 m below the water surface. The final structure has a hexagonal body, with a centrally orientated variable buoyancy unit with culture sub-units on each of the six corners. These sub-units can be used for the culture of oysters (Magallana gigas – formally Crassostrea gigas) as well as for the collection of mussel spat (Perna canaliculus). Other possible candidates could be seaweed, lobsters, sponges or tunicates. The operational depth of the whole system can be at any depth but was tested at between 5 and 10 m below the water surface positioned on the mooring line between the screw anchor and surface floats for the prototype tests. The system was deployed in March 2019 six nautical miles off the Bay of Plenty, North Island (New Zealand), in exposed waters near a commercial mussel farm and has been in test mode since then. The modelled structure indicates a design tolerance of significant wave height of over 7 m and currents of over 0.8 m/s. Initial results show that the new design has survived waves at 4.6 m significant height and current velocities of up to 0.7 m•s-1, while showing best growth conditions of the cultured oysters as well as for the spat settlement of juvenile greenshell™ mussels.

Aquaculture is projected to be a major supplier of marine proteins to large parts of the global population. This includes bivalves, which have a high potential to offset protein deficits, as they are highly adaptable to varying water temperature, salinity, desiccation, and oxygen conditions. This work is part of a two-piece contribution on novel marine aquaculture technology and details physical laboratory tests of a new cultivation system for bivalve farming called “Shellfish Tower”. The tested 1:20 model consists of a rectangular cage (2 × 2 m prototype scale) with a central buoyancy element and a height of 2 – 4 m. Testing was done in a current flume as well as a wave basin for current velocities between 0.4 – 2.2 m/s and wave heights of 1.6 to 5.0 m with periods between 5 to 14 s. The tests were conducted to prove the feasibility and functionality of this aquaculture system, which is usable for the collection and cultivation of mussel spat as well as for the grow-out of oysters, scallops, and seaweed in marine environments. Tests carried out in a current flume revealed that drag coefficients decrease with increasing current velocities, and range from Cd=0.5 to 2.5, while the mooring inclination increases from 12° to 84° with increasing flow velocity, which is highly dependant on the buoyancy related pretension. The examination of the mooring line tensions recorded in a wave basin showed that the largest values of snap-induced tension were up to 10 times that of the semi-static tension. The maximum-recorded tension on the system was 48 kN for a single and 89 kN for a double configuration, compared to non-snap tension values, which were in the range of 6 – 10 kN. The insights gathered in this study will inform the future design of aquaculture systems in high-energy environments and allow for an integration into numerical models.

New Zealand has a large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of which the area between the 30 and 50 m bathymetric zone offers the most prospects for shellfish production. Only 0.3% of this zone would be required to increase New Zealand’s shellfish production by 150,000 t. The Enabling Open Ocean Aquaculture Program, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, is a collaboration aiming to develop technologies that will enable the extension of aquaculture into New Zealand’s harsh and challenging open ocean conditions, and facilitate adaptation to the escalating effects of climate change in inner shore environments. New Zealand has started expanding aquaculture into exposed environments, allowing farm expansion to meet increasing demand for aquaculture products but also enabling ventures into new aquatic products. Expansion into offshore developments is in direct response to mounting stakeholder interaction in inshore coastal areas. This document presents a brief overview of the potential zones for open ocean aquaculture, the influence of climate change, and two potential shellfish operational systems that may facilitate the expansion of shellfish aquaculture onto New Zealand’s exposed ocean sites.

Coastal marine environments provide livelihoods as billions of people around the world depend greatly on sustainability efforts in the Blue Economy. In this study, we investigated how stakeholders from important Blue Economy sectors along the German North Sea coast perceive the impacts of climate change on their daily work life and the growth of the Blue Economy. In a two-stage approach we first conducted two stakeholder workshops with representatives from the regional sea food sector, science, NGOs and local authorities, in order to identify important issues linked to climate change affecting environment, society, economy and policy. In the second stage, we conducted semi-structured interviews with key knowledge holders from the Blue Economy, to evaluate and validate the most important issues identified during the first stage, and the impacts on the respective sectors. The workshop participants identified perceptible effects of climate change on their marine environment. Early career scientists showed that they possess a clear focus on measures for climate change adaptation, transdisciplinary approaches and knowledge transfer. The interviews revealed that the climate change effects could be perceived as both negative and positive, depending on the sector. Other issues, especially political decisions and developments are perceived to have a greater immediate impact on the Blue Economy than the slow progress of climate change effects. Additionally, increased human activities, in the form of new or intensified uses like marine renewable energy generation, have a greater influence and lead to conflicts between the Blue Economy sectors. Our study showed that economic and societal stakeholders in Germanys North Sea region are aware of climate change and already perceive its effects on their businesses. Synergies and conflicts between the sectors and political decisions might influence sustainable growth of the Blue Economy in highly contested regions, such as the North S

New Zealand has a large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of which the area between the 30 and 50 m bathymetric zone offers the most prospects for shellfish production. Only 0.3% of this zone would be required to increase New Zealand’s shellfish production by 150,000 t. The Enabling Open Ocean Aquaculture Program, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, is a collaboration aiming to develop technologies that will enable the extension of aquaculture into New Zealand’s harsh and challenging open ocean conditions, and facilitate adaptation to the escalating effects of climate change in inner shore environments. New Zealand has started expanding aquaculture into exposed environments, allowing farm expansion to meet increasing demand for aquaculture products but also enabling ventures into new aquatic products. Expansion into offshore developments is in direct response to mounting stakeholder interaction in inshore coastal areas. This document presents a brief overview of the potential zones for open ocean aquaculture, the influence of climate change, and two potential shellfish operational systems that may facilitate the expansion of shellfish aquaculture onto New Zealand’s exposed ocean sites.

Coastal marine environments provide livelihoods as billions of people around the world depend greatly on sustainability efforts in the Blue Economy. In this study, we investigated how stakeholders from important Blue Economy sectors along the German North Sea coast perceive the impacts of climate change on their daily work life and the growth of the Blue Economy. In a two-stage approach we first conducted two stakeholder workshops with representatives from the regional sea food sector, science, NGOs and local authorities, in order to identify important issues linked to climate change affecting environment, society, economy and policy. In the second stage, we conducted semi-structured interviews with key knowledge holders from the Blue Economy, to evaluate and validate the most important issues identified during the first stage, and the impacts on the respective sectors. The workshop participants identified perceptible effects of climate change on their marine environment. Early career scientists showed that they possess a clear focus on measures for climate change adaptation, transdisciplinary approaches and knowledge transfer. The interviews revealed that the climate change effects could be perceived as both negative and positive, depending on the sector. Other issues, especially political decisions and developments are perceived to have a greater immediate impact on the Blue Economy than the slow progress of climate change effects. Additionally, increased human activities, in the form of new or intensified uses like marine renewable energy generation, have a greater influence and lead to conflicts between the Blue Economy sectors. Our study showed that economic and societal stakeholders in Germanys North Sea region are aware of climate change and already perceive its effects on their businesses. Synergies and conflicts between the sectors and political decisions might influence sustainable growth of the Blue Economy in highly contested regions, such as the North S

In this work, laboratory tests with live bivalves as well as the conceptual design of additively manufactured surrogate models are presented. The overall task of this work is to develop a surrogate best fitting to the live mussels tested in accordance to the identified surface descriptor, i.e., the Abbott–Firestone Curve, and to the hydrodynamic behaviour by means of drag and inertia coefficients. To date, very few investigations have focused on loads from currents as well as waves. Therefore, tests with a towing carriage were carried out in a wave flume. A custom-made rack using mounting clamps was built to facilitate carriage-run tests with minimal delays. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) extracted from a site in Germany, which were kept in aerated seawater to ensure their survival for the test duration, were used. A set of preliminary results showed drag and inertia coefficients CD and CM ranging from 1.16–3.03 and 0.25 to 1.25. To derive geometrical models of the mussel dropper lines, 3-D point clouds were prepared by means of 3-D laser scanning to obtain a realistic surface model. Centered on the 3-D point cloud, a suitable descriptor for the mass distribution over the surface was identified and three 3-D printed surrogates of the blue mussel were developed for further testing. These were evaluated regarding their fit to the original 3-D point cloud of the live blue mussels via the chosen surface descriptor.

The aim of this book is to review and analyse the goods and services of bivalve shellfish. How they are defined, what determines the ecological functions that are the basis for the goods and services, what controversies in the use of goods and services exist, and what is needed for sustainable exploitation of bivalves from the perspective of the various stakeholders. The book is focused on the goods and services, and not on impacts of shellfish aquaculture on the benthic environment, or on threats like biotoxins; neither is it a shellfish culture handbook although it can be used in evaluating shellfish culture. The reviews and analysis are based on case studies that exemplify the concept, and show the strengths and weaknesses of the current applications. The multi-authored reviews cover ecological, economic and social aspects of bivalve goods and services. The book provides new insights for scientists, students, shellfish producers, policy advisors, nature conservationists and decision makers.

The “open ocean” has become a highly contested space as coastal populations and maritime uses soared in abundance and intensity over the last decades. Changing marine utilization patterns represent a considerable challenge to society and governments. Maritime spatial planning has emerged as one tool to manage conflicts between users and achieve societal goals for the use of marine space; however, singlesector management approaches are too often still the norm. The last decades have seen the rise of a new ocean use concept: the joint “multi-use” of ocean space. This paper aims to explain and refine the concept of ocean multi-use of space by reviewing the development and state of the art of multi-use in Europe and presenting a clear definition and a comprehensive typology for existing multi-use combinations. It builds on the connectivity of uses and users in spatial, temporal, provisional, and functional dimensions as the underlying key characteristic of multi-use dimensions. Combinations of these dimensions yield four distinct types of multi-use with little overlap between them. The diversity of types demonstrates that there is no one-size-fitsall management approach, but rather that adaptive management plans are needed, focusing on achieving the highest societal benefit while minimizing conflicts. This work will help to sharpen, refine and advance the public and academic discourse over marine spatial planning by offering a common framework to planners, researchers and users alike, when discussing multi-use and its management implications.

In this work, laboratory tests with live bivalves as well as the conceptual design of additively manufactured surrogate models are presented. The overall task of this work is to develop a surrogate best fitting to the live mussels tested in accordance to the identified surface descriptor, i.e., the Abbott–Firestone Curve, and to the hydrodynamic behaviour by means of drag and inertia coefficients. To date, very few investigations have focused on loads from currents as well as waves. Therefore, tests with a towing carriage were carried out in a wave flume. A custom-made rack using mounting clamps was built to facilitate carriage-run tests with minimal delays. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) extracted from a site in Germany, which were kept in aerated seawater to ensure their survival for the test duration, were used. A set of preliminary results showed drag and inertia coefficients CD and CM ranging from 1.16–3.03 and 0.25 to 1.25. To derive geometrical models of the mussel dropper lines, 3-D point clouds were prepared by means of 3-D laser scanning to obtain a realistic surface model. Centered on the 3-D point cloud, a suitable descriptor for the mass distribution over the surface was identified and three 3-D printed surrogates of the blue mussel were developed for further testing. These were evaluated regarding their fit to the original 3-D point cloud of the live blue mussels via the chosen surface descriptor.

The “open ocean” has become a highly contested space as coastal populations and maritime uses soared in abundance and intensity over the last decades. Changing marine utilization patterns represent a considerable challenge to society and governments. Maritime spatial planning has emerged as one tool to manage conflicts between users and achieve societal goals for the use of marine space; however, singlesector management approaches are too often still the norm. The last decades have seen the rise of a new ocean use concept: the joint “multi-use” of ocean space. This paper aims to explain and refine the concept of ocean multi-use of space by reviewing the development and state of the art of multi-use in Europe and presenting a clear definition and a comprehensive typology for existing multi-use combinations. It builds on the connectivity of uses and users in spatial, temporal, provisional, and functional dimensions as the underlying key characteristic of multi-use dimensions. Combinations of these dimensions yield four distinct types of multi-use with little overlap between them. The diversity of types demonstrates that there is no one-size-fitsall management approach, but rather that adaptive management plans are needed, focusing on achieving the highest societal benefit while minimizing conflicts. This work will help to sharpen, refine and advance the public and academic discourse over marine spatial planning by offering a common framework to planners, researchers and users alike, when discussing multi-use and its management implications.

The aim of this book is to review and analyse the goods and services of bivalve shellfish. How they are defined, what determines the ecological functions that are the basis for the goods and services, what controversies in the use of goods and services exist, and what is needed for sustainable exploitation of bivalves from the perspective of the various stakeholders. The book is focused on the goods and services, and not on impacts of shellfish aquaculture on the benthic environment, or on threats like biotoxins; neither is it a shellfish culture handbook although it can be used in evaluating shellfish culture. The reviews and analysis are based on case studies that exemplify the concept, and show the strengths and weaknesses of the current applications. The multi-authored reviews cover ecological, economic and social aspects of bivalve goods and services. The book provides new insights for scientists, students, shellfish producers, policy advisors, nature conservationists and decision makers.

The Green Aquaculture INtensification in Europe (GAIN) project is a 42 month long collaborative research programme funded by the European Union (EU), through Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement 773330) (www.unive.it/gainh2020eu). GAIN started in May 2018 and is designed to support the ecological intensification of aquaculture in the EU and European Economic Area (EEA), with the dual objectives of increasing production and competitiveness of the industry, while ensuring sustainability and compliance with EU regulations on food safety and environment. Eco-intensification of European aquaculture is a challenge that requires the integration of scientific and technical innovations, new policies and economic instruments, as well as addressing social considerations, in order to promote the implementation of the principles of circular economy in aquaculture

By moving away from coastal waters and hence reducing pressure on nearshore ecosystems, offshore aquaculture can be seen as a possible step towards the large-scale expansion of marine food production. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) in nearshore water bodies has received increasing attention and could therefore play a role in the transfer of aquaculture operations to offshore areas. IMTA holds scope for multi-use of offshore areas and can bring environmental benefits from making use of waste products and transforming these into valuable co-products. Furthermore, they may act as alternative marine production systems and provide scope for alternative income options for coastal communities, e.g., by acting as nodes for farm operation and maintenance requirements. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge on the implications of the exposed nature of offshore and open ocean sites on the biological, technological and socio-economic performance of IMTA. Of particular interest is improving knowledge about resource flows between integrated species in hydrodynamic challenging conditions that characterize offshore waters.

The trend to consume “to-go”, “ready-to-eat” or “convenience” food has increased over the last years (Statista, 2016). As a consequence, the amount of single-used packaging materials has also increased. Most of these packaging materials are made of non-biodegradable, petroleum-based polymers that have degradative impacts on the environment. This aspect is in conflict with the consumer expectations to have healthy and environmental-friendly food products including the surrounding packaging. Therefore, new, innovative and sustainable packaging concepts need to be established. A way for achieving this ambitious goal could be biodegradable and/or edible packaging concepts made form macroalgae (seaweeds). Macroalgae provide a sustainable, inexpensive and renewable raw material for packaging concepts due to their naturally occurring quantities and characteristic polymers such as alginate or agar. Moreover, marine hydrocolloids are commonly used in the food industry as thickeners or gelling agents and are accepted by consumers. For the proof of concept to develop a macroalgal-based packaging, we conducted a screening of local sources of green, red and brown algae to select a portfolio of functional and environmental-friendly species. We take into account that the intact and sensible maritime ecosystem should still be protected. Key markers for the selection were the concentration of iodine (low), hydrocolloids (high) and possible toxins (low) as well as local availability. The biodegradable macroalgae packaging concept was studied by using different mechanical preparation techniques under various conditions (e.g. energy input, shear rate, temperature etc.). The applied technology as well as the type of macroalgae led to different material properties of the produced macroalgal-based packaging. In contrast with common studies, where edible films are created by extracted hydrocolloids, the aim of the novel production system is to use the macro-algae in an ecological and econo