Blue Bio Boost

Blue Bio Boost is an EU-co-funded research & innovation project under the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership that focuses on boosting the European seaweed / macroalgae sector by better using genetic resources. In particular, the project aims to improve productivity, quality and reliability of cultivated seaweed biomass (for food, feed, materials, bioeconomy) by applying breeding, propagation and selection techniques — while also safeguarding the natural marine ecosystems from unintended genetic impacts.

Why it matters

• The macroalgae (seaweed) industry in Europe holds large potential for supporting sustainable food systems, bio-materials, carbon-sequestration and circular economy approaches.

• However, current cultivation practices are often relatively naïve: many farms use seed material drawn fresh from natural populations each year, with little or no selection for optimal traits (growth rate, resilience, composition) and no systematic “breeding-stock” approach.

• Without effective genetic improvement and careful management, efforts may remain low-yielding and unstable; plus there is risk of genetic mixing (“introgression”) of cultivated lines into wild populations, potentially eroding natural diversity.

• BBB thus seeks to provide a more robust scientific and technical backbone to the seaweed farming sector: improved genotypes, better propagation, engaged stakeholders, and a strategy for European macroalgae breeding.

Read about the project here: https://bluebioboost.eu/