Fish aquaculture is a thriving economic sector in Greece, which is expected to double its size until 2030 by occupying a substantial part of the country’s extended coastline. Aquaculture-related pressures to the natural coastal habitats have been acknowledged and investigated, but few actions have been proposed towards their mitigation, apart from the enforcement of restrictive regulations. Sponges emerge as ideal candidates for integrated aquaculture in fish farms, since they harbour high biotechnological potential apart from their remediation capacity. Fish aquaculture is a major contributor to blue growth worldwide, yet induces a series of pressures to the coastal marine environment. Living sponges are ideal candidates to mitigate organic pollution, owing to their innate capacity for active seawater filtering.
SPINAQUA (“Sponges in integrated aquaculture systems: Towards the delivery of better seawater quality and marine products of high added-value”) is a multidisciplinary research project investigating the potential of sponge cultivation in proximity to fish aquaculture for bioremediation and bioproduction purposes. To this end, it adopts an integrated approach comprising: (a) an extended survey of existing sponge habitats, (b) the setup of an experimental open-sea cultivation of selected sponges, as well as (c) the evaluation of their biotechnological potential in the laboratory. Through the adoption of state-of-the-art research methodologies, it aspires to provide a sound baseline to support the development of future bioremediation applications in an efficient, productive and environmentally sustainable manner. In the long run, it will help deliver a competitive advantage to Greek aquaculture enterprises and “cleaner” seas to the people.
Newspaper interview
SPINAQUA coordinator M. Mandalakis gave an interview to “Patris” newspaper (a daily, local newspaper of Crete) and discussed about the exploitation of marine sponges as a means to reduce organic pollution in seawater and simultaneously produce high-valued natural products. The article is available online at https://www.patris.gr/2020/06/11/o-m-mandalakis-stin-p-oi-lagokefaloi-irthan-gia-na-meinoyn-stin-kriti/. Excerpt of the sponge-related…
Sponges Sampling
A collection of 6 distinct sponge species from coastal sites in Crete was conducted by the SPINAQUA diving team (Thanos Dailianis, Julius Glampedakis, Emmanouela Vernadou) . The sponge fragments were transported and placed with the help of IMBBC aquaria expert Grigoris Skouradakis in experimental aquaria, in order to monitor the…
This project has received funding from the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) and the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT), under the “1st Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects for the support of Post-doctoral Researchers – The project was submitted in the field of Natural Sciences (Project ID: 239)