A project bringing together the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) at the University of Aveiro and B2E – Blue Bioeconomy CoLAB is exploring the potential of small estuarine crustaceans – gammarid amphipods – as a new sustainable source of omega-3 fatty acids for aquaculture. The study focuses on the valorization of plant waste to produce biomass rich in n-3 LC-PUFA, contributing to the diversification of ingredients in feed formulated for marine species.

The growing global demand for farmed fish and shellfish has been putting pressure on the availability of ingredients rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), especially from the n-3 (omega-3) family, which are essential for the growth, physiological performance, and health of marine organisms. Faced with this challenge, the PUFApods project proposes an innovative and circular approach: farming gammarid amphipods fed with co-products from vegetable food processing, transforming by-products into functional and nutritious biomass.

These small crustaceans, common in estuarine areas such as the Ria de Aveiro, have demonstrated the ability to bioaccumulate omega-3 from plant-based diets, enriching their lipid profile with essential compounds such as EPA and DHA. Previous studies have already suggested their potential as trophic enhancers, but PUFApods goes further by investigating the enzymatic capacity of these organisms to biosynthesize n-3 LC-PUFA from saturated fatty acids of plant origin.

The team will use molecular biology and lipidomics tools, such as gene expression analysis (Fad/Elovl) and taxonomic characterization by molecular barcodes. Tests will also be carried out at different salinity levels—from 5 to 45—to simulate natural estuary conditions and test the performance of organisms fed with plant by-products (such as potato peels, lettuce leaves, or onion skins).

In addition, the existence of nutritional programming will be explored: that is, it will be assessed whether the offspring of amphipods fed with vegetable co-products have a greater lipid conversion capacity than those raised on conventional marine diets.

One of the milestones of the project will be the development of a modular bioreactor prototype, designed for the efficient production of amphipod biomass in a controlled environment, based on waste streams from the vegetable food industry.

The PUFApods project is part of an ongoing effort to promote the diversification of ingredients in marine feed, aligning with FAO guidelines and actively contributing to the advancement of the blue bioeconomy, based on the valorization of local resources and the sustainability of aquaculture systems.

This project is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).