MP-RAS

MP-RAS

Microplastics (MP) in the marine ecosystem are a growing threat to food biosecurity.  The production of marine fish in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) may shield them from this contamination.

The MP-RAS project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this water ultrafiltration system in removing microplastics, minimizing their levels in the fish produced. To this purpose, it will be used the meagre, an emergent species in aquaculture characterized by its large size, low fat content, and good processing efficiency. The levels of Microplastic in meagre produced in RAS will be then compared to those from produced meagre in open-sea cages and those from wild-capture meagre.

This project will allow the production of meagre with significantly low levels of microplastics in its muscle tissue, compared to other commercial sources, avoiding the disruption that microplastics might have on fish development and growth and improving their production and quality.  Low / free microplastics content certification will make it possible to add value to the final product, which will ultimately benefit human health by reducing microplastics ingestion.