ATLAS – Atlas of viability for the development of ocean aquaculture in Spain. (ATLAS).
Pleamar program
One of the main constraints on the expansion of the aquaculture sector in the European Union is the lack of adequate space for its development, for which it is necessary to identify new sites in ocean waters that allow at the same time to reduce the environmental impact and resolve possible conflicts between new emerging uses.
The most important challenge of ocean aquaculture is coexistence with marine protected areas. As indicated in the report Guidelines for Aquaculture and the Natura 2000 Network (European Commission, 2012), more than 5% of the Natura 2000 Network sites in the European Union hosted some activity dedicated to aquaculture at the time of their designation as SCIs or SPAs. In Spain, the analysis of Spanish aquaculture, an ally in the protection and conservation of biodiversity in the Natura 2000 Network (General Secretariat of Fisheries, 2017), indicates that a total of 271 aquaculture facilities (75.9%) are located in marine areas. The conclusions of both reports highlight the compatibility of aquaculture activities with the preservation of the natural values of Natura 2000 sites, and may even contribute in certain cases to strengthening the proposed environmental objectives and generating well-being, social and economic development.
Therefore, the need to address maritime spatial planning from a multisectoral approach and under an ecosystem vision, which guarantees the balance between its conservation and the development of uses, is evident. In this context, the project has analysed the opportunities offered by the waters of Spanish sovereignty and jurisdiction for the cultivation of fish species of interest (Exclusive Economic Zone). Tools have been developed that can be applied to the different economic activities that take place in the maritime space (e.g. exploitation of marine renewable energies) and the skills and knowledge to carry out maritime spatial planning based on the balance between the carrying capacity of ecosystems, social risks and economic opportunities.
The work carried out has made it possible to identify the most suitable areas for the sustainable cultivation of fish species. The knowledge provided has favoured the diversification of species farmed in coastal and marine waters and has encouraged the growth of traditional maritime economies, as well as the development of economic activities compatible with the areas of the Natura 2000 Network.
The information generated on the cultivation opportunities has been displayed through an open-access cartographic viewer. Likewise, a simulator has been developed that will allow the analysis of theoretical and real cases (species and study areas) in the marine protected area selected as a pilot area and obtain maps of cultivation opportunities with a spatial resolution of 0.01º.
Line of action:
Marine ecosystemsStatus:
FinalizadoExecution date:
2018General Objective:
To develop methods and applications for the spatial planning of aquaculture in the marine space of state sovereignty that serve as basic tools for decision-making in the implementation of current regulations on maritime spatial planning.
Specific objectives:
- To analyse the opportunities for farming fish species in Spanish coastal and marine waters.
- To analyse the opportunities for the cultivation of fish species in a marine protected area linked to the future proposal for marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network.
- To develop a prototype simulator that allows users to analyse the opportunities for cultivation of species not considered in the project in a marine protected area.
- To disseminate and disseminate the opportunities offered by the maritime space for the cultivation of fish species.
The general objective of developing methods and applications for the spatial planning of aquaculture in the marine space of state sovereignty has been successfully achieved, which allows their use as basic tools for decision-making in the implementation of current regulations on maritime spatial planning.
The most significant result of the project is the design of the prototype of a scenario simulator at high spatial resolution to analyse the biological suitability and cultivation opportunities of different species in a specific place in the world. This simulator includes the Geo Web Viewer, which shows the zoning of farming opportunities for species of fish interest in coastal and marine waters. The selected species are: Argyrosomus regius, Dicentrarchus labrax, Rachycentron canadum, Salmo salar, Seriola dumerilii, Sparus aurata and Thunnus thynnus.
To achieve these results, specific indicators of a meteo-oceanic and physical-chemical nature were defined to define the opportunities for farming fish species. A geodatabase of the study areas was thus generated from the analysis of different variables -water surface temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, waves, etc.-. These data have been obtained from satellite sensors, re-analysis models and the OCLE open-access database. Also, the source code for the dynamic calculation of the Biological Suitability index was developed.
The Menorca Channel was selected as a pilot area and 10 species were studied: 4 species in production and 6 new species.
To analyse the opportunities for farming fish species in Spanish coastal and marine waters, seven species have been selected: cod (Rachycentron canadum), sea bream (Pagellus bogarave), sea bass (Argyrosomus regius), sea bream (Sparus aurata), sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Eight new species were also proposed: bluefin tuna, grouper, dentex, lampuga, grouper, mullet, snapper and yellowtail.
ATLAS – Atlas of viability for the development of ocean aquaculture in Spain. (ATLAS).
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