New case study: farming marine zooplankton – a sustainable protein source for use in aquaculture
Laying the foundations for novel farming system and feed to supply the aquaculture sector
Aquaculture’s rapid growth has driven demand for aquafeed, traditionally reliant on fishmeal from marine fisheries. As fishmeal supplies are limited, feed manufacturers have moved toward plant-based proteins. However, these alternatives can create issues in the nutritional value of feed for carnivorous marine species, creating a need for new solutions.
To address this, Aquanzo Ltd is pioneering an approach: domesticating and sustainably farming marine zooplankton (artemia) on land and at industrial scale. Valued at over £80k, this feasibility study was led by Aquanzo, funded by the UK Seafood Innovation Fund and supported by SAIC.
Artemia are small crustaceans similar to krill. They are are highly nutritious for marine fish and shrimp, maturing in under 21 days and growing rapidly on diverse feedstocks.
The project aimed to develop lab-scale innovations to inform future industrial-scale production. Objectives included designing a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for artemia, optimising biomass production while minimising energy and waste, and creating a nutritional platform using agricultural by-products.
Key outcomes:
- A lab-scale artemia production facility was designed, built, and integrated with RAS.
- Energy analysis revealed heating and cooling as major consumers; optimisations could reduce heating energy by 30%.
- Artemia was grown on two feedstock formulations, validating the concept of tailoring nutritional profiles.
- Yield improved nearly threefold over five months, and energy consumption strategies for scaling were identified.
This project demonstrates the feasibility of farming marine zooplankton on land, and creating a protein source with characteristics similar to fishmeal. This lays the foundation for a new industry sector, supporting aquaculture’s long-term sustainability. Further R&D will focus on optimising yields, energy efficiency, and water treatment to enable pilot-scale production.
The full title of this project is ‘Novel farming system to produce sustainable marine zooplankton protein for aquafeed’
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