Revolutionizing Cod Aquaculture: Highlights from the EarlyCOD Final Webinar

Groundbreaking Insights in Early Nutrition

The EarlyCOD project has culminated in a significant final webinar that gathered an international audience to explore remarkable advancements in Atlantic cod aquaculture. Spearheaded by SPAROS in Portugal alongside partners CIIMAR and Planktonic AS from Norway, this research initiative aimed to develop innovative early-life feeding protocols to enhance the success of cod farming. The webinar illuminated how specialized microdiets and cryopreserved plankton can effectively support the growth and health of cod larvae, significantly decreasing skeletal deformities and elevating juvenile cod quality.

Pioneering Solutions to Aquaculture Challenges

Cod farming has long struggled with issues such as slow juvenile growth and elevated mortality rates stemming from stress and disease, resulting in fluctuating quality and rising costs. The EarlyCOD project was established to tackle these challenges through advancements in nutrition and breeding. Over its duration, the research team developed a novel range of aquafeeds and a comprehensive early feeding regime that merges innovative inert microfeeds with live cryopreserved plankton. This dual approach enhances the resilience of cod larvae during the crucial weaning phase, thereby lowering mortality rates and stress while boosting juvenile quality and reducing production costs.

Significantly, project trials exhibited substantial benefits: tailored diets led to a marked reduction in skeletal deformities among cod larvae, better organ development, and stronger juveniles. “These innovative nutritional strategies not only improve early growth and maturation but also yield juveniles of exceptional quality,” reported the project team. This is expected to empower cod hatcheries in producing healthier young fish, alleviating a key bottleneck in the industry. As Norway’s cod farming sector expands rapidly, these findings are timely, providing refined protocols to facilitate the large-scale production of high-quality cod juveniles.

Collaboration and Key Webinar Highlights

The EarlyCOD final webinar, held on December 12, 2025, showcased the project’s spirit of international collaboration. Co-organized by Norway’s Cod Cluster and the EarlyCOD partners, the online event attracted participants from Norway, Portugal, and Iceland, reflecting widespread engagement within Europe’s aquaculture community. The event featured 28 researchers from prestigious institutions like the Institute of Marine Research, NOFIMA, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, along with 40 industry experts and representatives from governmental agencies. A total of 76 participants emphasized the extensive reach of EarlyCOD across diverse sectors.

Key presentations during the webinar unveiled the project’s findings and their implications for practice. Dr. Luis Conceição, the EarlyCOD project coordinator from SPAROS, initiated the event, outlining the project’s objectives and research highlights. Nils Tokle from Planktonic AS discussed the successful implementation of cryopreserved plankton, known as “cryoplankton,” as an innovative live feed alternative that enhances larval health and growth. João Henriques of SPAROS shared results related to co-feeding protocols, notably the reduction of skeletal deformities when integrating cryoplankton with the new microdiets. Insights into immune and oxidative responses of cod larvae fed EarlyCOD diets were presented by Dr. Benjamin Costas from CIIMAR, revealing enhanced resilience under optimized feeding conditions.

Industry perspectives enriched the discussions. Kristine Drage of Akvaplan‐NIVA addressed practical larval quality metrics monitored in hatcheries, while Frank Mlingi from Ode explored factors leading to variability in larval robustness and how consistent feeding protocols could mitigate disparities. A lively discussion session moderated by Antonio Coli of Planktonic encouraged debates on deformities, live feed types, and long-term performance, emphasizing the necessity for ongoing knowledge sharing in the burgeoning sector.

A Significant Milestone for Sustainable Cod Aquaculture

The final webinar symbolized a pivotal conclusion to the collaborative efforts of the EarlyCOD project, which spanned from 2023 to 2025. This initiative, driven by SPAROS in partnership with CIIMAR and Planktonic AS, exemplifies the power of cross-border collaboration in advancing aquaculture innovation. By uniting expertise from marine biologists, feed technologists, and industry practitioners, the project tackled complex biological issues in cod rearing, delivering actionable solutions ready for industry uptake.

As the cod farming sector aspires to scale production sustainably, the EarlyCOD outcomes present promising strategies: new feeds and feeding regimes designed to enhance juvenile quality, survival rates, and farm profitability. The insights gained from this webinar will empower fish farmers, feed producers, and researchers beyond the consortium, accelerating enhancements in cod hatchery practices.

The EarlyCOD consortium expressed optimism that these innovations will reinforce the supply of high-quality cod juveniles, meeting increasing market demand while improving fish welfare and minimizing losses. The success of EarlyCOD lays the groundwork for future R&D ventures in aquaculture nutrition and breeding, ultimately fostering sustainable growth within the marine aquaculture sector.

Image Source: SPAROS