Contact
Davíð Gíslason
Project Manager
davidg@matis.is
The aim of the project is to investigate whether Omega-3 rich microalgae, which are produced at Algaennvation Iceland in Hellisheidi, are better suited as feed for zooplankton, shrimp and shellfish.
Algae are the basis of the food chain and a source of many nutrients, such as Omega-3, which is important for healthy growth and survival during the early growth stages of many fish, crustaceans and molluscs. In many hatcheries, algae are used to grow and enrich zooplankton (eg rotifers and brine shrimp), which are then fed to the larval stage of fish and shrimp. The nutritional value of the feed is based on the quality of the algae. Today, the quality of the nutrient content of the algae is considered to be a bottleneck due to current interest rate technology that depends on sunlight and weather conditions. This leads to variability in growth conditions and algal quality due to the effects of seasonal fluctuations. Because of this, production is expensive and prices are very high.
The aquaculture industry is looking for a sustainable, clean, efficient and Omega-3 rich crop / source of fresh algae, which contain a stable nutritional composition all year round. This project should be a step towards solving this problem.
Participants in the project are experts from Algaennovation and Matís as well as doctoral students.
The project is funded by Technology Development Fund
Total strength of the project is about 43 million for two years, 2019-2021.
Project manager of the project is Kristinn Hafliðason, project manager at Matís is Davíð Gíslason.
Partners in this project is Algaennovation Iceland and Matís ohf.
The global goals of this project are: 3, 9, 12, 14.
