A groundbreaking aquaculture research project, EarlyCOD, reveals new feeding solutions that enhance the survival and health of farmed Atlantic cod. Led by SPAROS in Portugal, the consortium’s findings are set to transform cod hatchery practices. Results were unveiled during a widely attended European webinar.
Tackling cod farming challenges
A major international aquaculture research effort has unveiled pioneering methods to boost survival, health and quality in farmed Atlantic cod. The EarlyCOD project, led by SPAROS in Portugal with partners CIIMAR and Norway-based Planktonic AS, presented its results during a webinar last month, drawing strong interest from industry, researchers and policymakers across Europe.
The project set out to address long‑standing challenges in cod farming, including slow juvenile growth, high mortality and variable quality – issues that have constrained the sector for years.
Novel feeding protocols introduced
Through intensive research and large‑scale validation, EarlyCOD has developed new early‑life feeding protocols combining tailored microdiets with cryopreserved plankton. These innovations have delivered significant improvements in larval performance, skeletal health and robustness.
Over the course of the project, researchers created a new generation of aquafeeds designed to support cod during the vulnerable weaning phase. Trials showed that larvae fed EarlyCOD diets exhibited fewer skeletal deformities, stronger organ development and higher resilience, offering hatcheries a practical route to producing higher-quality juveniles. As Norway’s cod farming sector expands rapidly, the project’s outcomes arrive at a critical moment for farmers seeking greater consistency and survival rates in early rearing.
Strong industry and research support
The webinar, co‑organised by Norway’s Cod Cluster and the EarlyCOD consortium, attracted 76 participants from Norway, Portugal and Iceland.
Attendees included 28 researchers from major scientific institutions, among them the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), NOFIMA, NTNU and Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute. As well as 40 industry representatives from aquaculture companies, trade bodies and public agencies and 9 cod-farming companies, including Ode, Norcod, KIME Akva, Havland, and Ísfélag, were among those present.
Cryoplankton as efficient feed
Project coordinator Dr Luis Conceição of SPAROS opened the event with an overview of EarlyCOD’s aims and achievements before handing over to project partners to share technical findings. Planktonic AS researcher Nils Tokle highlighted the successful use of cryopreserved plankton (or “cryoplankton”) as an efficient alternative to live feed, contributing to improved larval growth and health. SPAROS’s João Henriques presented results showing that co‑feeding cryoplankton with new inert microdiets further reduced deformities and enhanced performance. CIIMAR’s Dr Benjamin Costas added insights from immune and oxidative stress analyses, demonstrating that larvae on EarlyCOD diets showed improved physiological condition.
Towards sustainable cod aquaculture
Industry speakers reinforced the importance of the findings. Akvaplan‑NIVA’s Kristine Drage detailed the larval quality indicators used by hatcheries and where new tools could improve decision‑making. Frank Mlingi from cod producer Ode discussed variability in larval robustness between batches and the potential for improved feed consistency to stabilise outcomes. A lively discussion followed, touching on deformities, live feed choices, breeding influences and long‑term performance.
The EarlyCOD consortium described the project as a milestone for sustainable cod aquaculture. By strengthening early life stages — often the bottleneck of production — the new feed strategies offer farmers a pathway to higher survival, lower losses and improved welfare.
The partners expressed confidence that EarlyCOD’s results will accelerate innovation in nutrition and breeding, supporting the wider growth of marine aquaculture.
