The overall objective of MeCCAM is to develop, implement and recommend climate mitigation and adaptation solutions and increase the resilience and sustainability in the fisheries sector. MeCCAM employs an integrated multi-actor approach to deliver relevant and feasible results to support the fishing industry and policymakers. The outputs include: decision support tools allowing fishers to mitigate and adapt to climate change; innovative fishing gears to improve selectivity, fuel efficiency, and minimise habitat damage; and an environmental impact management software to reduce carbon emissions, and other impacts across the value chain. The solutions will be designed and implemented within six case studies (CSs) which have been selected for their suitability to address a multitude of challenges posed by climate change. MeCCAM also builds adaptive capacity by delivering: climate-informed advice prototypes for CSs; mitigation and adaptation plans at the CS level, as well as general recommendations; CS-specific plans for commercial utilisation of emerging species; and a policy brief on how to improve governance for mitigation and adaptation in the sector. Project outputs will be evaluated for their environmental and socio-economic efficacy in close collaboration with stakeholders. MeCCAM´s evidence-based and demand-driven solutions have a high potential for transferability to various regions and contexts and will provide actors with tools and pathways to advance climate resilience. MeCCAM will, therefore, contribute to the European Green Deal, the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Farm to Fork Strategy, United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13 and 14, as well as the Ocean Decade challenges 2, 3, 4, and 6.

Marine Biodiversity loss is continuing to decline despite current conservation efforts. Reversing the decline in biodiversity requires rapid roll out of effective conservation measures that can also enable a sustainable and resilient blue economy. Social-ecological systems-thinking and Ecosystem-Based Management are globally recognized tools to enable balanced marine development and conservation. Marine SABRES will co-design as Simple Social Ecological Systems approach (the Simple SES) to rapidly enable and upscale EBM across Europe and abroad. Marine SABRES will set European marine management on a course to reverse biodiversity decline, it will conserve and protect biodiversity by integrating sustainable ecosystems and a resilient blue economy; enable managers to make sustainable decisions; empower citizens to engage with marine biodiversity conservation; promote sustainable development and in coastal and marine sectors. Marine SABRES is comprised of an interdisciplinary consortium including world leaders in the field of EBM and Social Ecological System distributed across Europe and focusing demonstration of practical management efforts in three Demonstration Areas (Tuscan Archipelago, the Arctic North-East Atlantic and Macaronesia) before upscaling throughout Europe and beyond.

The overall objective of AquaVitae is to increase aquaculture production in and around the Atlantic Ocean in a sustainable way by developing new and emerging low trophic species and by optimising production in existing aquaculture value chains. The value chains that AquaVitae will focus on include macroalgae production, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, and production of new echinoderm species as well as existing shellfish and finfish species. A series of cross-cutting Work Packages (WPs) will include research on biosensors, Internet of Things (IoT), product characteristics, consumer attitudes, market potential, sustainability, environmental monitoring, risk assessment, analysis of value chains, profitability, and other socioeconomic aspects. AquaVitae will contribute to various policy dialogues and produce briefs on policy and governance issues. The AquaVitae consortium consists of 36 full partners from Europe and countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, in addition to an Industry Reference group, a Policy Advice Group, and an External Advisory Group. AquaVitae supports extensive communication and outreach activities, employs a multi-actor approach to ensure stakeholder engagement in all phases of the project, and will set up a durable aquaculture industry and research network around the Atlantic Ocean. Industry partners are present in all case studies, and they have a special responsibility for exploitation and commercialization of the project research results and outcomes. AquaVitae will have a lasting impact on society through the introduction of new species, and through the development of new processes and products based on a circular economy / zero waste approach with improved sustainability. AquaVitae will produce Good Practice standards, facilitate industry apprenticeship and student exchange, support extensive training programs for industry, academia, and the public, and contribute to the implementation of the EU-Brazil-South Africa Belém Statement.

The Operationalizing Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation for aquaculture (OCCAM) consortium consists of 22 industry and research partners from across Europe. The OCCAM objective is to implement, test, and evaluate innovative solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the aquaculture sector, and to deliver scalable, replicable, and exploitable solutions with accompanying recommendations ready for deployment in a wide variety of aquaculture supply chains. Some solutions are generic in nature with application across countries and sectors; this includes a Good Practice recommendation for self-assessment of CO2 emissions, guidelines for how to meet sustainability reporting requirements, templates for requesting and providing scientific advice, and a policy recommendation focusing on gaps and opportunities for climate-resilient aquaculture production. Other solutions are specific for sectors, species, and production methods, including solutions for carp, rainbow trout, salmon, bivalves, and seaweed (Ulva). To reduce emissions and contribute to aquaculture sector mitigation of climate change, sediments from freshwater aquaculture are upcycled, sludge is used to produce biochar, a digital tool for self-assessment of emissions from bivalve production is developed, and nets and pens with significantly reduced emissions are produced. Adaptation solutions include assessment of water availability and quality for freshwater aquaculture, selective breeding of more resilient rainbow trout, digital tools for forecasting and managing sea lice and Harmful Algal Blooms, and change of deployment parameters for oysters and seaweed given the expected changes in temperature and other environmental conditions. A prototype or proof of concept is developed for each solution, and where possible the proposed solution is also evaluated at a different site, and general recommendations are provided to other industry actors wishing to implement similar solutions.

Demand for proteins is increasing for food and feed applications. To meet the increasing demand, production will have to double by 2050. However, current protein production, both animal- and vegetal based, has severe negative environmental impacts in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land and water use, as well as biodiversity loss. The EU is not self-sufficient when it comes to protein production and a large proportion of the demand is met with imported proteins with concerns regarding food security and the general competitiveness of the EU. It is therefore of vital importance to find sustainable alternative protein sources that can be economically produced in quantities that meet growing food and feed sectors. NextGenProteins has identified microalgae, single cell protein and insects as three promising sources of alternative proteins that can be produced through innovative and environmentally sustainable bioconversion processes using industrial waste streams. These processes cause limited environmental impacts and pressure on natural resources. Through collaboration between industry and RTD, the project will address key barriers that currently prohibit or limit the application of the three alternative proteins in food and feed, such as production scalability and optimisation, production costs, value chain risks, safety, regulations and consumer trust and acceptance. The project will demonstrate the suitability and economic viability of the alternative proteins in food and feed value chains and explore their market opportunities with the industry, stakeholders, policy makers and consumers. NextGenProteins will find means to improve the acceptability and trust of consumers towards alternative proteins and processes. The project will contribute to strengthening food security, sustainability and self-sufficiency of EU protein production with future-proof supply, as well as long-term reduction of land use, water use, GHG emissions and energy of EU food sector.