Innovation Capabilities & Products
- Capabilities | Development of Artificial Intelligence applications for fisheries management
Development of Deep Learning algorithms that allow automating fisheries monitoring processes and reducing time and costs compared with processing by human observers. The applications developed range from innovative systems for real-time remote electronic monitoring, which identify and quantify total catches of fishing vessels (e.g., iObserver), to new image recognition techniques that allow individually identifying fish and estimating population parameters.
- Capabilities | Fisheries stock assessment using traditional and molecular ecology approaches
Development of stock assessment models to estimate fish population status and Maximum Sustainable Yields for fisheries, based on fishing pressure data and population dynamics parameters (abundance, distribution, age, fecundity, etc.) obtained using traditional approaches and -omic techniques, which allow for a much higher spatial resolution.
- Capabilities | Assessment of the survival of fisheries by-catch and fish spatial ecology using biotelemetry techniques
Use of acoustic tags and biotelemetry techniques to monitor fish behavior and assess the survival of fisheries by-catch.
- Capabilities | Pathogen incidence and risk assessment
Pathogen detection and identification in wild and farmed animals, as well as in seafood products. Evaluation of the relationship between pathogen incidence and various environmental and physiological aspects to provide risk assessments for target pathogens.
- Capabilities | Development of new food products from fisheries and aquaculture by-products
Development of processes for the transformation of discards and seafood by-products into new raw materials (fish mince, fish oil, etc.) with added value for the generation of innovative processed food products (hamburgers, nuggets, etc.), ensuring traceability, nutritional value and safety in new value chains.
- Capabilities | Development of bioprocesses (biorefineries) for the extraction of bioproducts and bioactive compounds from food industry by-products
Development of processes that allow extracting useful components of industrial interest from discards and food industry by-products and effluents. Biochemical characterization of useful components present in different kinds of fisheries products and by-products, such as skin collagen, visceral enzymes, chondroitin sulphate present in cartilage, chitin from crustacean shells and cuttlebone or protein hydrolysates obtained from muscle. Evaluation of potential applications of these compounds through the characterization of their biological activities (antioxidants, etc.) and functional properties for their use in different industries, such as biomedical, chemistry, cosmetic, food, etc.
- Capabilities | Control of traceability and labelling
Development of specific biomarkers and -omic techniques to quantify allergens and to track species composition and geographical origin for quality traceability and prevention of food fraud and unregulated fisheries.
- Capabilities | New technologies for rapid detection of pathogens in fishery and aquaculture products
Development of mass spectroscopy techniques for rapid identification and quantification of parasites in seafood products, as well as proteomic techniques to identify pathogenic microorganisms, fish parasites and allergen proteins.
- Capabilities | Threat assessment and critical control points along seafood value chains
Assessment and development of protocols to identify the most problematic areas and products in terms of microbial contamination and parasitic infestation along the value chain of seafood products.
- Capabilities | Development of management and decision-making tools based on modeling and simulated scenariosCoastal & Environmental Protection Maritime Spatial Planning Ecosystem Services & Governance Aquaculture Fisheries
Development of space-specific tools for assessment, management and decision-making by modeling the impacts of present and possible future environmental scenarios (pollution, climate change, etc.) on oceanographic conditions, biodiversity distribution, physiological response or fisheries and aquaculture performance.