The GENIALG project aims to boost the Blue Biotechnology Economy (BBE) by increasing the production and sustainable exploitation of two high-yielding species of the EU seaweed biomass: the brown alga Saccharina latissima and the green algae Ulva spp. GENIALG will demonstrate the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of cultivating and refining seaweed biomass in multiple use demanded products of marine renewable origin. The consortium integrates available knowledge in algal biotechnology and ready to use reliable eco-friendly tools and methods for selecting and producing high yielding strains in economically feasible quantities and qualities. By cracking the biomass and supplying a wide diversity of chemical compounds for existing as well as new applications and markets, GENIALG will anticipate the economic, social and environmental impacts of such developments in term of economic benefit and job opportunities liable to increase the socio-economic value of the blue biotechnology sector. In a larger frame, conservation and biosafety issues will be addressed as well as more social aspects such as acceptability and competition for space and water regarding other maritime activities. To achieve these objectives GENIALG will foster a trans-sectorial and complementary consortium of scientists and private companies. • GENIALG will involve a diversity of private companies already positioned in the seaweed sector individually for different applications (texturants, feed, agriculture, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products…) in order to strengthen interactions for developing a bio-refinery concept and accelerate efficient and sustainable exploitation of seaweed biomass to bring new high-value products on the market.

With this project, called HADES, we aim to provide the first detailed, combined analysis of benthic diagenesis and microbial ecology of some of the deepest oceanic trenches on Earth. We argue that deep trenches, some of the most remote, extreme, and scantly explored habitats on Earth, are hotspots of deposition and mineralization of organic material. With the development of novel autonomous in situ instrumentation to overcome large sampling artifacts from decompression, we will i) determine rates of benthic metabolism and the importance of the deep trenches for the marine carbon and nitrogen cycles, ii) explore the unique benthic microbial communities driving these processes, and iii) investigate the proposed great role of virus in regulating microbial performance and carbon cycling in hadal sediments. By comparing trenches from contrasting oceanic settings the project provides a completely novel general analysis of hadal biogeochemistry and the role of deep trenches in the oceans, as well as fundamental new insights into the composition and functioning of microbial communities at extreme pressure.

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.

The overarching objective of AtlantOS is to achieve a transition from a loosely-coordinated set of existing ocean observing activities to a sustainable, efficient, and fit-for-purpose Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System (IAOOS), by defining requirements and systems design, improving the readiness of observing networks and data systems, and engaging stakeholders around the Atlantic; and leaving a legacy and strengthened contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). AtlantOS will fill existing in-situ observing system gaps and will ensure that data are readily accessible and useable. AtlantOS will demonstrate the utility of integrating in-situ and Earth observing satellite based observations towards informing a wide range of sectors using the Copernicus Marine Monitoring Services and the European Marine Observation and Data Network and connect them with similar activities around the Atlantic. AtlantOS will support activities to share,