Research project Blue Bio Boost – Boosting seaweed farming through better utilisation of genetic resources

General introduction

Help for breeding macroalgae (= seaweed) to obtain larger and higher quality yields in European seaweed farms is the goal of this project. More specifically, it deals with the breeding potential of sugar kelp in Norway, Sweden and Ireland. This is a new topic for Europe and for ILVO (the breeding experts).
In Asia, selective breeding of local seaweed species has led to significant progress. Europe has so far relied on the natural populations present. This project investigates the potential applications of advanced breeding techniques in macroalgae. The European seaweed industry thus aims to harness genetic variation through real of breeding programs, to stabilize and increase yield and quality, and to address uncontrolled genetic mixing with wild populations. The latter can lead to ecological risks.

Research approach

A dual approach is used: 1) work on cultivation of mixtures of superior genetic material with allele frequencies similar to local populations ("mix-to-match"), which avoids the adverse effects of genetic mixing; and 2) develoment of specific breeding techniques for the creation of improved genotypes of macroalgae and for the production of sterile sporophytes.

Relevance/Valorization

To increase relevance and the likelihood of effective implementation and broad social acceptance, the project group is establishing a Stakeholder Engagement Group. This group will be heavily involved in the development of the intended breeding strategy. It is already clear that both economic and ecological added values are being pursued. Finally, we aim to widely disseminate the results of this project.