Ecosystems
Aquaculture
The Nordic Aquaculture ecosystem uses industrial fish for microalgae cultivation.
Industrial fish waste is used to cultivate microalgae such as Spirulina and Chlorella vulgaris — grown from lab-scale trials to larger raceway-pond production
FOCUS AREAS
Algae-derived additives to boost Atlantic salmon’s resistance to parasites
Functional aquafeed ingredients
Immunity-boosting algae-based feed additives
KEY FACTS
200M tonnes of fish & seafood produced worldwide per year
100 kg seafood eaten per person/year in top-consuming countries
~70 candidate algae ingredients screened for functional feed
1 field trial underway in sea cages, Norway
THE CHALLENGE
Aquaculture has boomed over the last 50 years – the world now produces more seafood through fish farming than through wild fishing.
Dense farming conditions make it easier for parasites and diseases to spread, especially when fish are stressed. These issues are traditionally treated with pharmaceuticals, which can pollute the surrounding open water.
FROM ALGAE TO FEED
Only specific algae compounds – not the whole organism are useful. Promising candidates are first tested ex vivo (outside the living fish) to predict their effect, before being trialled in the finished feed on live fish.
LOCALITY has moved from screening nearly 70 candidate ingredients to producing industrial-scale prototypes. Top extracts improved immune response, wound healing and skin health – the next step is a field trial in sea cages in Norway.
FUNCTIONAL FEEDS
Standard feed pellets supply protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Functional feeds go a step further, adding bioactive ingredients that improve fish health, growth, stress resistance and environmental sustainability.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Immune boosting — faster, stronger immune response
Wound healing — supports cell regrowth and recovery
Mucosal health — strengthens skin and gut barrier
Parasite resistance — fewer infections, less need for chemical treatment
➜ Healthier fish, more sustainable farming, and a smaller environmental footprint – all starting with algae in the feed
Agriculture / Food
The North Sea Greenhouse ecosystem uses drain water supplied for microalgae cultivation.
Greenhouse drain water is used to grow microalgae. Species are selected and optimised in photobioreactors, and the resulting biomass is analysed for food and agricultural applications.
FOCUS AREAS
Agriculture-relevant bioactivities
Novel sustainable biostimulants and biocontrol products
Innovative algae-based nutraceuticals
Algae-based fish, meat, and egg alternatives
KEY FACTS
9.7B tonnes of crops produced worldwide in 2024
5,250 consumers surveyed across 7 European countries
52% curious to try algae-based foods
<10% algae content preferred by most consumers
WHY CHANGE WHAT WE EAT?
Meat-heavy diets account for up to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while global crop production reached 9.7 billion tonnes in 2024 — up 27% since 2010 — putting growing pressure on land and fertiliser use.
Algae (tiny aquatic plants) offer a powerful solution. They’re nutritious, fast-growing, and have a low environmental footprint. Microalgae like spirulina and chlorella, are a low-footprint, high-protein food source, rich in minerals, vitamins and essential amino acids.
AN ALGAE BASED APPROACH TO NUTRITION AND PLANT HEALTH
Algae are increasingly used as a sustainable and nutritious food ingredient, the aim in LOCALITY is to develop nutritious, algae-based foods that meet consumers’ expectations of the original food.
- Meat alternative Sausages
- Fish alternative Fish nuggets, canned tuna
- Egg alternative Mixture for omelet preparation
➜ But the Algaes potential runs deeper than your plate, they can also function as…
ALGAE: NATURE’S HEALTH BOOST -NUTRACEUTICAL
collective term for foods or food-derived products intended to provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. They can be used to support or protect health, though they are not classified as medicines.
BIOSTIMULANTS – HELPING PLANTS GROW
Algae extracts (e.g. from kelp or Ascophyllum nodosum) help plants absorb and use nutrients more efficiently, improving growth, water use and stress tolerance. Promising products are refined and validated through field trials on lettuce, cabbage, tomato, cucumber, bean and pepper under drought and nutrient stress.
BIOCONTROL – FIGHTING FUNGI NATURALLY
Algae extracts can slow plant pathogens such as fungi, offering a natural alternative to chemical pesticides. Extracts are tested against pathogens in the lab, and the two best performers move forward to prototype development.
➜ Familiar foods, reintroduced with algae – and healthier soils, grown with algae
Textile production
The Baltic textile ecosystem works on algae-based textile colouring additives, setting the necessary research for the use of algae cultivation as a solution for laundries side streams remediation
Four species of freshwater diatoms are cultivated in laundry wastewater, selected for their ability to absorb pollutants. The harvested biomass is analysed for use in textile applications
FOCUS AREAS
Natural algae-based dyes
Innovative algae-infused fabrics
Algae-based textile coatings for antimicrobial and dyeing purposes
KEY FACTS
111M tonnes of textiles produced worldwide per year
146M tonnes projected by 2030 (business as usual)
20% of global clean-water pollution comes from dyeing
36% of the textile supply chain’s climate impact comes from dyeing
THE ISSUES WITH TEXTILE PRODUCTION
The textile industry produces 111 million tonnes of textiles a year — expected to reach 146 million by 2030. It is one of the most environmentally harmful sectors, emitting over 1.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ and using large amounts of energy and water, especially for dyeing.
Dyeing alone causes around 20% of global clean-water pollution and 36% of the textile supply chain’s total climate impact. Chemicals used to soften or waterproof fabric, such as formaldehyde and fluorochemicals, can harm rivers and aquatic life.
WHERE ALGAE CAN HELP
A Sustainable Approach to Textile Production and Dyeing
Algae grow using only water, light and nutrients. Pigments extracted from their biomass — chlorophylls (green), carotenoids (yellow-orange) and phycobiliproteins (red/blue) — serve as natural colourants, reducing dependence on petroleum-based synthetic dyes. Algae-based dyes work under milder conditions with fewer additives, cutting chemical, energy and wastewater loads.
FROM ALGAE TO FABRIC
Management define fabric type, dye class, dyeing conditions and quality-control needs, since no standardised method yet exists
Biorefinery target, extract and isolate algae compounds (e.g. Spirulina, Nannochloropsis, Palmaria palmata)
Fabric processing the fabric is placed in a dye bath with the algae pigment; heat, time and binders set the final colour
Scale-up dyed fabric is tested for colourfastness against washing, light and rubbing, and benchmarked against conventional dyes
Researchers are working towards a plug-in solution: a single, streamlined dyeing formulation that needs no secondary coating step, making it easy for the industry to adopt and scale up ➜ From Lab to Large Scale
➜ Turning algae biomass from laundry wastewater treatment into natural, sustainable colour for fabric