The European funded project AQUAEXCEL3.0, involving 28 European partners, has been instrumental in propelling the European aquaculture industry forward. By expanding the Transnational Access program, providing state-of-the-art training, and aligning research with industry needs, the project has fostered innovation and sustainability.
AQUAEXCEL3.0 has enabled significant advancements in fish health, nutrition, genetics, and environmental impact. The project has also cultivated international partnerships, facilitating knowledge sharing and expertise exchange. By aligning research with industry needs, the project has ensured that scientific discoveries translate into practical applications.
Throughout the project, numerous knowledge outputs have been generated, including scientific publications and innovative technologies. To maximise their impact, AQUAEXCEL3.0 has prioritised outputs with the potential to transform the aquaculture industry. These outputs have been selected based on their relevance to industry needs, scientific rigor, innovation potential, commercial viability, and positive feedback from experts and end-users.
Through a collaborative process involving researchers, industry experts, and end-users, made possible with the Industry and Research Advisory Panel (IRAP), AQUAEXCEL3.0 has identified a number of success stories that are already making a significant impact on European aquaculture. These success stories showcase the project’s ability to translate scientific research into practical applications that benefit both the environment and the economy.
By focusing on high-impact outputs and fostering strong industry-academia partnerships, AQUAEXCEL3.0 has positioned itself as a leading force in shaping the future of sustainable aquaculture. The following high-impact outputs are a testament to the project’s transformative influence on the aquaculture landscape.
Experimental assessment of the fish meal content requirements for Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) feeds
Ramon Fontanillas
Ramon is an experienced Principal Researcher with a demonstrated history of working in the feed production industry, for more than 20 years. He is currently working in Skretting Aquaculture Research Center (Norway).
Ramon is skilled in Fish and Animal Nutrition, Product Development, Research and Development (R&D). He holds a strong professional profile with a Doctor of Philosophy – PhD focused in Fish and Animal Nutrition from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
The Challenge: Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is a species characterised by distinctly carnivorous feeding habits. Previous studies have shown that juvenile of meagre have a high dietary protein requirement (50%). Previous work has also shown that it is possible to reduce fish meal inclusion in diets for rearing carnivorous fish, but for meagre information so far is scarce, and the reported minimum fish meal inclusion is around 30%. Further research is needed to be able to formulate nutrient well-balanced diets based on the knowledge of alternative protein sources (either plant or land-based animals by products). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Fish Meal substitution with different vegetable protein blends on growth performance, voluntary feed intake, feed utilization and health on meagre.
The Solution: Ramon’s research demonstrated that it is possible to decrease the fish meal inclusion from 40% down to 15% with either plant protein (i.e. wheat gluten. spy protein concentrate) ingredients or poultry by-products as part of a balanced diet in terms of amino acids, minerals and vitamins. There were no differences in growth performance, voluntary feed intake, feed utilisation or health.
The Application: This research offers a direct pathway for aquafeed producers to formulate more sustainable, plant-rich diets specifically tailored for meagre aquaculture. Meagre farmers can utilise these findings to adopt more environmentally sound and potentially cost-efficient feeding practices. Furthermore, Ramon’s work provides a solid scientific foundation for aquafeed researchers to pursue further investigations into minimising or even eliminating fishmeal dependence in aquaculture feeds.
The Future: Achieving further validation through broader trials and successful demonstrations of these outcomes will be critical for the aquafeed industry to confidently adopt Ramon’s formulations for commercial production. Ultimately, the widespread implementation of these findings promises a future where meagre feed production relies less on marine resources, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient aquaculture sector.
Learn more about Ramon’s results on the Horizon Results Platform!
Benefit of krill meal inclusion on enhancing the growth of juvenile gilthead seabream by significantly reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR)
Kiranpreet Kaur
Kiranpreet Kaur is the R&D Director of Aker QRILL (Norway), a company that was part of Aker BioMarine until September 2024. Kiran’s academic journey began with a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India. Her postdoctoral research includes positions at the University of Illinois, Peoria (2009-2010) and Oslo universitetssykehus HF (2010-2012). In 2012, Kiran joined the Norwegian University of Life Sciences as a researcher, where she played a key role in advancing salmon aquaculture, with a focus on innovative sea lice treatment strategies, until 2019. Her research led to the development of diagnostic assays for assessing sea lice sensitivity to chemical treatments—work that culminated in two patents held by the Norwegian company PatoGen AS.
Her leadership capabilities led her to Aker BioMarine in 2019, where she served as the Director of Research & Development for Salmonids until her current role at Aker QRILL. Kiran’s career demonstrates a consistent trajectory of impactful contributions, solidifying her expertise in commercializing aquaculture research and development.
The Challenge: Feed is the most expensive part of fish aquaculture, attributing to around 60-70% of the production cost. Current fishmeal replacement feed recipes consist of high amounts of plant-based ingredients which are known to have low bioavailability of nutrients. Hence, it is important to produce feeds by including functional ingredients that could enhance the bioavailability and utilisation of nutrients by decreasing the feed conversion ratio (FCR), which would be beneficial towards improving fish health and performance. In addition, it would enable the industry to save costs by using less amounts of feed to achieve the desired weight of fish. This would be beneficial for the environment by reducing the wastage of feeds. Additionally, oxidative stress damage is an important issue among farmed fish, due to their continuous exposure to physical, biological, and chemical stressors. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of nutrients in krill meal towards improving the FCR in the feeds for juvenile gilthead seabream.
The Solution: Kiran’s results demonstrated the benefit of krill meal inclusion on enhancing the growth of juvenile gilthead seabream by significantly reducing the FCR. The results indicated that krill meal inclusion enables the seabream larvae to better utilise the feed nutrients and hence reduced amount of feed would be needed, which is beneficial for the industry and for the environment.
The Application: Aquafeed researchers can use these results to build a further body of evidence on the effects of krill meal inclusion on FCR and the underlying mechanisms. Additionally, feed producers can use the results to include krill meal and reduce the volume of feed needed.
The Future: This groundbreaking work holds significant potential to reshape aquaculture practices. Firstly, the investigation into krill meal inclusion promises to deliver new knowledge regarding its effects on significantly reducing the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). This efficiency gain translates directly to lower feed costs and a reduced environmental footprint. This trial breaks new ground by being the first to scientifically demonstrate the specific effects of krill meal on oxidative stress levels in juvenile gilthead seabream, adding a crucial dimension to our understanding of its benefits beyond basic nutrition. Ultimately, the development and validation of new feed formulations, scientifically proven to offer these advantages, have a substantial potential impact on increasing overall productivity within the aquaculture sector.
Learn about Kiran’s results on the Horizon Results Platform!
The use of Wood-Based Yeast SCP (single-cell protein) as an ingredient for Trout diets
Ricardo Ekmay
Ricardo is the Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Arbiom (USA), a company that develops high-quality protein for human and animal food. In this role, he leads a team of scientists to develop and optimize Arbiom’s proprietary technology, which converts underutilised materials into single-cell protein powered by fermentation. He also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas, where he shares his expertise and passion for science with students and researchers. He holds a PhD and a MS in Poultry Science from the University of Arkansas, and a BSc in Animal Science from Cornell University.
The Challenge: The global demand for high-quality, protein-rich foods continues to increase as the global population grows, along with income levels. Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal protein industry in the world and can help fulfil some of this demand. One of the key challenges though is sourcing a sustainable, renewable protein ingredient. Therefore, the development of alternative protein sources (with a reduced climate impact) is needed to ensure long-term food security in Europe. To ensure nutritional adequacy of an alternative protein for production animals, and to limit effluent production, dedicated trials determining nutrient bioavailability are required. Single cell protein (SCP) products, protein meals based on microbial or algal biomass, have the potential to fulfil this need. The implementation of alternative protein sources in aquaculture requires in-depth evaluation of their nutritional adequacy. There is limited knowledge on the use of SCP in aquaculture, especially commercially relevant species to Europe such as Rainbow trout. Therefore, a dose-response trial in Rainbow trout is warranted.
The Solution: Ricardo’s research focuses on “lignocellulosic biomass”, which is the most abundant, renewable carbon source that can be used for the production of proteins. Therefore, one of the more promising alternative proteins is a single-cell protein (SCP) cultivated on hydrolysed lignocellulosic biomass.
The Application: Aquafeed manufacturers will be able to prioritise alternative ingredients within their internal feed development programs. Fish farmers will be able to uptake the protein products to use in their farms.
The Future: The alternative protein market in Europe will continue to grow, leading to less dependance on non-European products and greater competitiveness at a global level. This shift can contribute to a more sustainable aquaculture industry, lessening the pressure on wild fish stocks and improving the environmental footprint of farmed seafood. Additionally, research like Ricardo’s can contribute to offer consumers a wider range of choices and potentially mitigating some of the environmental concerns associated with conventional fish farming practices.
Learn more about Ricardo’s results on the Horizon Results Platform!
CryoPlankton benefits in seabass aquaculture
Konstantinos Tzakris
Konstantinos Tzakris, based in Norway, is currently the Technical Manager at Planktonic AS. Konstantinos brings experience from previous roles at AVRAMAR and Selonda SA. Konstantino’s professional purpose is to advance fish and shrimp aquaculture, ensuring it’s both highly productive and profitable for businesses, while also being environmentally responsible. He believes this sector offers excellent opportunities for employees to contribute meaningfully. He holds a BSC in Fisheries and Aquaculture from the Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki and specialized in Sustainable aquaculture (University of St Andrews). He also carried out an MBA in Business Administration by the Hellenic Open University.
The Challenge: CryoPlankton (innovatively cryopreserved barnacle zooplankton, produced by the Norwegian company Planktonic) is already widely and successfully used as the standard live feed in several fish species in Europe, due to the rich nutritional quality and the simplicity of preparation compared with traditional live food items. It is also used in some fast-growing warm water species with great success. The short and long-term benefits of CryoPlankton are well documented e.g. in ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), where growth is superior compared to the larvae fed traditional live feeds while reports suggest that organogenesis completes in a shorter time frame. Despite the evidence of CryoPlankton superiority to conventional live feeds, there is a lack of scientific documentation of CryoPlankton benefits in Mediterranean species, including seabass aquaculture, especially regarding the long-lasting effects of the early-stage diet under industrial conditions. The main reason is that industrial operations of seabass aquaculture are complex and there is limited opportunity to perform long-term studies where all parameters in the hatchery and on-growing stage are under control. For this reason, the aim of Konstantino’s project was to study the long-term effects of Cryoplankton live-feed hatchery diets on European seabass.
The Results: The project’s results showed significant differences in the hatchery period KPIs and long-lasting effect of the CryoPlankton-fed treatments.In the hatchery period, the weight was almost 50% higher than the control .The growth rate of the CryoPlankton-fed animals during the hatchery period was significantly higher and while it was reduced during the on-growing, it remained evident giving 12% larger fish by the end of the trial after a year.
The Application: Seabass hatchery managers and producers can use the output to improve the production of seabass, including simplification of the process of producing larvae using a standardised methodology. The use of CryoPlankton in commercial seabass hatcheries, produce similar results to this study, although the expected results in each case may vary due to the scale effect and different setups. Additionally, fish researchers can take up the output to conduct further research to understand how CryoPlankton can benefit other species within established or specialized industries. Further research is planned to understand how CryoPlankton can benefit seabream, in collaboration with research centres and universities.
The Future: The integration of CryoPlankton into commercial seabass hatcheries is already delivering demonstrable biological and economic gains. By streamlining larval-rearing protocols and consistently boosting key performance indicators, the CryoPlankton technology reduces operational complexity while lowering the unit cost of juveniles. When these efficiencies compound over successive production cycles, CryoPlankton transforms seabass farming from a margin-sensitive venture into a reliably profitable enterprise, opening a new chapter for the long-term sustainability of the sector.
Learn more about Konstantinos’s results on the Horizon Results Platform!