The overall vision of IMPRESS is to develop a series of innovative actions to address key sustainability challenges associated with the marine and freshwater sectors from sea to shelf.

The key challenges that IMPRESS will address are:

1. Valorisation of solid and liquid waste streams from fish processing.
2. Utilisation and promotion of underutilised low trophic species.

IMPRESS aims to co-create, deliver, and promote new products and improved processes from freshwater/ marine low–trophic species (LTS) and waste. 

Impress will use state-of-the-art technologies (hydrodynamic cavitation, microwave and enzyme assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, etc.) to process solid and liquid side/waste streams from selected lower trophic species and process water from the cooking step at a seafood canning facility to obtain novel products such as proteins, chitosans and lipids. The properties (prebiotic, antioxidants, antihypertensive, etc.) of these products will be validated in vitro through biochemical or enzymatic methods. Microbiological and chemical characterization of the products intended for food application will be carried out to confirm compliance to microbiologic and heavy metals criteria in food. Techno-functional properties of proteins will be determined. Biopolymers obtained from the process streams will be assessed and used for biodegradable packaging material. Furthermore, the potential of the nutrient rich processed water will be used to support duckweed and microalgae growth.  Bio-actives from macro, micro algae and duckweed will be formulated to produce bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides for agriculture applications and vegan fishlike products. Moreover, six fresh and marine water lower trophic species will be employed for non-vegan food products and ingredients.

BMRS’ Role

BMRS will cultivate winged kelp (Alaria esculenta) next to a salmon farm in Bantry Bay forming an incidental integrated multi trophic aquaculture system. The same kelp will be grown at a control side in Toormore bay. The monthly growth off the kelp will be monitored and samples will be analysed for phenolic compounds, phlorotannin, fucoxanthin, total polysaccharides and fucans. During the growing season light and temperature will be monitored by probes and water samples will be analysed for nutrient content in the lab.

BMRS will also supply the cultivated seaweed to several partners for the development of novel food and non-food products.

Role: Asparagopsis Project Lead

Antón Seoane oversees the strategic development and execution of all R&D activities required for the land-based production of Asparagopsis armata tetrasporophytes. He holds a BSc. in Oceanography from the University of Vigo and is a certified commercial diver.

In his role, Antón leads initiatives to optimize Asparagopsis cultivation systems aimed at reducing enteric methane emissions in cattle thus supporting the company’s commitment to delivering evidence-based, sustainable solutions for the livestock sector. He also evaluates emerging applications of Asparagopsis within the cosmetic and potential pharmaceutical domains.

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Cerca, M., Sosa A., Vance C., Pollard P., Maguire J., Murphy F. (2024) Small-scale low-tropic ocean farming and coastal rural landscapes: Why the logistics of seaweed matter? Insights from Ireland for collaborative planning. Marine Policy, Volume 163, 106140, ISSN 0308-597X.
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Juhasz-Dora, T., Thesslund, T., Maguire, J., Doyle, T.K. & Lindberg, S.-K.  Investigation of biofluorescence produced by the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus.. Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries, 4, e159.
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Cerca, Mariana, Amanda Sosa, and Fionnuala Murphy.  Responsible supply systems for macroalgae: Upscaling seaweed cultivation in Ireland. Aquaculture 563 (2023): 738996.
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Juhasz-Dora, T., James, P., Evensen, T., & Lindberg, S. K. (2024). Hidden in plain sight: hyperspectral documentation of complex biofluorescence produced by the green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis). Methods and Applications in Fluorescence.
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