Joining the INTEGRATE consortium is a great opportunity for the Aquaculture Research Group of the ECOAQUA University Institute of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as it allows to join forces with other research groups, focusing on similar research lines, to develop common methodologies to implement Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture Along the Atlantic Ocean.

Previously the IU-ECOAQUA Aquaculture Research Group has performed research on the integrated production of low trophic invertebrates’ species such as abalone together with macroalgae production in Land based IMTA systems.

In the INTEGRATE project, the aim is to diversify the low trophic species to be produced in Land based IMTA systems and to test the integration of different invertebrates’ species together in a single production unit to determine the viability of such integrated production. More specifically, the experiments will test the integration of Holothuria sanctori in European abalone production in a Land-based IMTA system that also integrates Ulva rigida and Gracilaria sp. The information obtained will contribute to the footprint reduction of the production method and the determination of IMTA’s environmental contribution to define the benefits of such integration methods.

A first exchange between partners focusing on sea cucumber production (Agro Campus and ULPGC) took place in November 2022 to determine the methods to be employed at different sites and establish similar experimental and analytical methods to facilitate data exchange.