SmartBeauty aims to boost the valorisation and sustainable use of natural resources common in coastal areas of Portugal and France, specifically the halophytes Polygonum maritimum L. and Chrithmum maritimum, in the cosmetic industry. Plants will be cultivated in greenhouse and outdoor settings under different saline irrigation resources and subtracts. Extracts will be prepared from produced plants and from those from the wild, and appraised for in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, photoprotective, skin sagging preventive and anti-melanogenesis assets. Active samples are assessed for toxicity; active and non-toxic extracts are chemically characterized. SmartBeauty links the XtremeBio team from CMAR (Portugal) and EA7462 (Geoarchi) from Université de Bretagne Occidentale (France) and foils knowledge assembled on previous R&D projects, adds to the exchange of knowledge and training of (young) researchers, complements skills and strengthens relationship between the groups.

The expansion of the aquaculture sector in Portugal and Israel must be made in a context of environmental, economic and social sustainability. The integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA, also known as aquaponics) approach is recommended by FAO and other important bodies to accomplish environmental sustainability by bio-mitigation of aquaculture wastes while contributing to economic stability by product diversification. Salt tolerant plants (halophytes) have been introduced in Israel in fish-halophyte IMTA, an innovation that has allowed using saline soils (often available in coastal regions near pond fish farms) instead of the costly ponds for the plant component. Market value of the annual halophyte Salicornia spp., also known as sea asparagus, have made this approach economically attractive in Israel. The Israeli farmers, however, recently preferred growing the perennial Sarcocornia spp., with very similar organoleptic properties than Salicornia, even though it shows inferior growth rates and extended blooming period (a negative trait). In Portugal, this approach is still in its infancy.   The objectives of SaltyCrops are: 1) develop and optimize the production of faster-growing, shorter-blooming and higher food-quality Sarcocornia varieties for fish or shrimp-halophyte IMTA farms, and 2) identify and develop biochemical products from the inedible parts of Sarcocornia.  In both countries, Sarcocornia seeds will be collected along the coastlines, germinated and selected for IMTA cultivation, based on their growth rate and salt tolerance. In Portugal, selected ecotypes will be cultivated in different hydroponic structures, coupled with seabream and seabass production. In Israel, selected ecotypes will be used to construct a wetland irrigated with effluents from a semi-open recirculating mariculture producing sea bream. In both countries, growth, yield, flowering season and duration will be evaluated throughout the year with respect to several agro-technics. Finally, in both countries, edible parts of produced fish and halophytes will be characterized for selected properties, aiming its valorisation in the food industry, while non-edible parts of produced plants and appraised for functional assets, aiming its valorisation in the cosmetic and nutraceutical areas.   

ExtremeAquaCrops will implement and optimize an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system in the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), Division of Aquaculture and Upgrading (DivAV), Olhão (EPPO), located in the Ria Formosa lagoon (southern Portugal) combining the production of marine fish (Dicentrarchus labrax L. - European seabass, Sparus aurata L. – gilthead seabream and Argyrosumus regius Asso - meagre), in outdoor production ponds, and of selected extremophile medicinal halophytic species, in greenhouse aquaponics. The produced biomass will be biochemically characterized and tested for bioactivities relevant for its application in the food and cosmetics industries as high added value commercial products. XtremeAquaCrops is a partnership between Centre of Marine Sciences of the Algarve (CCMAR, Faro, Portugal), IPMA (DivAV/EPPO) (Portugal) and Royal Green Solutions - HUBEL (Olhão, Portugal).    

O projeto PESCARDATA2 pretende continuar o estudo integrado da atividade de pesca lúdica em Portugal (iniciado com o projeto PESCARDATA), considerando a vertente da pesca recreativa (apeada, embarcada e pesca submarina) e a da pesca desportiva. Para atingir os seus objetivos, o projeto desenvolve-se em estreita colaboração com a DGRM, diversas instituições nacionais e internacionais de investigação científica da área e também associações e entidades ligadas à pesca em Portugal: FPAS, FPPDAM, EFSA, FPPD, APPSA. Uma das principais questões que a pesca lúdica levanta é o desconhecimento desta atividade. Como tal, o projeto tem como finalidade recolher dados mais concretos que permitam descrever a pesca lúdica em Portugal continental, contribuindo para a tomada de decisão responsável e informada.   Numa primeira fase, o projeto vai fazer um levantamento da atividade junto dos pescadores lúdicos. Para isso, vai ser lançado um questionário online, o qual constituirá uma ferramenta pioneira para a obtenção de informação adicional sobre a atividade à escala nacional. O inquérito será divulgado pela Direção Geral de Recursos Naturais (DGRM) através de uma mensagem de telemóvel para todos os pescadores lúdicos licenciados, solicitando a sua participação. A finalidade do inquérito é caraterizar pescadores recreativos e conhecer diferentes aspetos da atividade de pesca, tais como: número de pescarias, experiência de pesca, modalidades praticadas, gastos, espécies-alvo, motivações para a prática da atividade, opiniões sobre a legislação em vigor, entre outros. Numa segunda fase do projeto, será também disponibilizado na página web um diário de pesca interativo online. Este diário permitirá a todos os pescadores lúdicos participantes registarem e consultarem a sua atividade de pesca lúdica, numa página pessoal e intransmissível, obtendo estatísticas atualizadas e personalizadas dessa mesma atividade.   O projeto, da responsabilidade do CCMAR, compreende uma equipa multidisciplinar, com investigadores e técnicos de diferentes universidades e institutos, das áreas das pescas, biologia, economia, matemática e sociologia, da Direção Geral de Recursos Naturais (DGRM) e de federações e associações de pesca lúdica portuguesas.    

ICHTHYS is multidisciplinary, cross-sectorial project that aims to optimize novel value-chains for fish and seafood products to reach the EU market and to develop an integrated sustainable approach to improve quality and reduce product loss during the supply chain.   Specific objectives are to: Introduce novel nonthermal food processing as an alternative approach to conventional post-harvest fish and seafood processing methods; ​Systematically investigate the effect of processing through novel nonthermal methods on the quality and safety attributes of fish and seafood, targeting as required identified challenges (eg. parasites and toxins) and assessing allergenic capacity; ​Test and apply active and intelligent packaging systems that can appropriately monitor the quality and safety of fish and seafood products; ​Implement modern techniques and molecular biology tools in the evaluation of quality and safety status of fish and seafood; ​Integrate “omics” technologies to identify novel markers for quality assessment and microbiological spoilage fingerprints; ​Evaluate consumers’ preferences and expectations from the developed fish and seafood prototypes; ​Evaluate the socio-economic impact of the developed processing technologies and cold chain management tools; ​Provide cross-cutting intersectoral and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and training to improve employability and career prospects both in and outside academia; ​Contribute to the knowledge-based economy and society to boost regional and European competitiveness and growth, promote food security and exports to promote job creation.    

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Although most attention in reducing greenhouse gas emission is given to carbon dioxide, methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming effect 80 times more potent than that of carbon dioxide on a 20-year scale. Methane is the principal by-product of anaerobic fermentation maintained in the rumen of the animal and is ultimately belched into the atmosphere. The production of ruminant livestock is responsible for about one-quarter of the global anthropogenic methane emissions.   Adding just 2% of a red seaweed in the ruminants’ diet reduced the animals´ methane emissions by over 95%. Translating this discovery into a global solution implies farming this seaweed at a large-scale to meet the needs to an estimated 1.5 billion cattle and 1.2 billion sheep. CCMAR has experience in producing this species of seaweed in land-based cultivation systems. We are now taking this knowledge further to enable sea-based cultivation and unlock its potential to combat climate change.

MARSW project gathers information on spatial distribution and status of habitats and species of the Parque Natural Alentejano e Costa Vicentina (PNSACV). This information is central for the PNSACV management decision making that should ensure efficient conservation of marine biodiversity, including Natura 2000 priority habitats and species. The information on marine habitats and species will be made available through an internet geo-portal (SIMARSW). A monitoring model for PNSACV, that will consist of the most suitable sampling methods and indicators of protection effects, is also being developed. This model will serve as a basis for long term evaluation of protection effects, both biological and socio-economical, of zones with different protection levels. Further, harmonization of methodological approaches is envisaged between PNSACV and other two marine parks, PN Litoral Norte and PN Arrábida. The key insights on biodiversity and protection effects of PNSACV provided by MARSW, will allow for assessment of the current protection measures adequacy and their potential re-adjustment. Thus, MARSW project aims at contributing to inform management for a more efficient conservation and sustainable use of marine resources of PNSACV. The project also aims to reach the stakeholders and marine park users with the knowledge gathered, in order to stimulate their interest in benefits that protection can bring to them.