Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture - IMTA

The term IMTA refers to combined aquaculture of various organisms at different trophic levels within the same production unit.

This allows farmers to reduce waste products, improve the ecological balance of aquaculture units, use resources more effectively and to produce valuable additional products. The ZAF provides space for testing, adaptation and balancing along with production unit development for combinations and associations of various novel aquaculture species. The Aquaculture Research Group has pioneered new saltwater and freshwater IMTA species combinations and aquaponics systems.

  • InSuZa:
    Integration of the narrow-clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) into an operating pike-perch aquaculture system as a more sustainable and resource-efficient option for commercial aquaculture.
    Contacts: Tanja Soukup | Joachim Henjes
    Funded by: Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and The Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM);

  • AquaMoNa:
    The integration of fish, freshwater crayfish, cropping plants and microalgae in an aquaponic-system under consideration of ecological requirements and optimal feed and nutrient utilization.
    Contacts: Stephan Ende | Joachim Henjes 
    Funded by: Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and The Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM);