LTA BOOST
Blue Food for green transition
The green agenda requires us to develop new and more sustainable ways of producing food. The LTA BOOST project will develop low trophic aquaculture (LTA) of the European flat oyster and the red seaweed dulse. These species are native to Danish waters but are currently underutilised. The project is funded by Innovation Fund Denmark and runs from 2023 to 2027.
Why LTA BOOST?
There is an urgent need to change our food production methods to realize the Danish national ambition of a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Agriculture alone is contributing to an estimated 20-30% of greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark.
The LTA BOOST project takes the important first steps to upscale sustainable Low Trophic species Aquaculture (LTA). Low trophic species like seaweed, mussels, and oysters do not need to be fed but live from nutrients present in the sea.
Seaweed production has a positive or at least a net zero carbon footprint, and mussels and oysters have a footprint of just 6 % of poultry's footprint. Further, Low Trophic Aquaculture has a minimal environmental impact and has mitigating effects in relation to nutrient overload of coastal water.
What will LTA BOOST do?
The LTA BOOST project will boost the development of blue food for the green transition. The overall goal is to develop Low Trophic species Aquaculture (LTA) in Danish waters to exploit underutilized native resources fitting into sustainable food production.
This is achieved by opening the three bottlenecks in production: Stable commercial-scale seed production, efficient grow out methods for Danish waters, and cost-efficient water treatment for on-land facilities.
The project works with two high-value species – the bivalve European flat oyster and the red seaweed species dulse – to boost LTA production in Danish waters and develop LTA production technology with a wider perspective, especially in relation to hatchery technologies.
Research & Innovation
The research and innovation activities in the LTA BOOST project will upscale flat oyster and dulse production and develop optimized biosecurity and water quality systems to support hatchery production.
Partners in LTA BOOST
The LTA BOOST consortium consists of a broad range of expertise including Danish university institutes, commercial partners, and associated expert contributors. The project is led by DTU Aqua.
Danish universities
- DTU Aqua, Technical University of Denmark
- DTU Sustain, Technical University of Denmark
Commercial partners
- Ocean Rainforest, Faroe Islands
- Muslingeriet, Denmark
- Oyster Boat, Denmark
- Pure Algae, Denmark
- Kerteminde Seafarm, Denmark
Associated expert contributors
- AlgaSolis, University of Nantes, France
- Elentec, UK
- Aliga, Denmark