ARRAINA
Principal Investigator:
Project Members:
Research Directions:
Fish nutrition and feeding
Fish health
Description:
The ARRAINA project aimed to i) develop sustainable alternative aquaculture feeds tailored to the nutritional requirements of European farmed fish species, over their respective full life cycles, with reduced levels of fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) and ii) assess the long term physiological consequences by applying targeted predictive tools applicable to multiple species of European farmed fish. It will therefore provide flexibility in the use of various ingredients in the formulation of feeds which are cost-efficient, environmental friendly and which ensure production of seafood of high nutritional value.
To reach this overall objective, the project will:
-
Define quantitative nutrient requirements for major European farmed fish species
-
Identify targeted integrative tools that accurately measure and predict metabolic and health effects
-
Develop integrative approaches linking pathways of energy allocation, protein accretion and identify nutritional drivers in alternative ingredients that may modify metabolism and fish performance
-
Measure long-term effects of changes in diet formulations on fish performance, such as threshold effects, nutritional intervention in early life history stages, and carry-over from maternal diets to larvae
-
Evaluate the environmental impacts of long term effects of changes in aquaculture feed formulations and effects on product quality
-
Test blends of novel sources in commercial feeds for their nutritional value and new ways to deliver nutrients and supplements
-
Design and deliver new pioneering training courses in fish nutrition to increase the research capacities, particularly in countries of the enlarged EU
-
Bridge the gap between the scientific community and the commercial sector through stimulation of problem-based research and enhanced knowledge transfer