Objectives: The main objective of the COLMED project is to promote the use of jellyfish as a new marine resource along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. To achieve this goal, the project is structured around three specific objectives outlined below:

1. Diversify the income sources of the artisanal fishing sector, thereby supporting the continuity of their livelihood.
2. Implement a jellyfish harvesting network to produce products through the application of technological processes.
3. Raise public awareness about jellyfish, their added value, and the marine environment.

Description: Since the early days of marine bioprospecting, the ocean and its diverse ecosystems have been considered valuable sources for exploring new raw materials and natural products, as well as a driving force for the economy due to their great potential for innovation and sustainable economic growth.

The organic content of jellyfish is primarily collagen. The natural and hydrolyzed collagen obtained mainly from the umbrella and oral arms of the species Rhizostoma pulmo and Cotylorhiza tuberculata, which are abundant jellyfish species in the Spanish Mediterranean, is considered an innovative and sustainable alternative to collagen derived from the skin and bones of terrestrial mammals such as bovines and pigs. In some countries, jellyfish-derived collagen is used as a raw material for applications that significantly improve the well-being and health of future generations, such as nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. Additionally, it is a biomaterial that can be used in tissue engineering due to its low immunogenicity and high biocompatibility.

In this context, the COLMED project aims to use jellyfish as an innovative source of collagen, contributing to reducing the socio-economic impacts caused by their proliferation in the tourism and fishing sectors. Furthermore, COLMED seeks to transform the perception of jellyfish from a problematic and threatening species to society into a useful and valuable one within the framework of blue biotechnology, circular economy, and zero waste.

Grant Call: 2023

Status: Open

Start Year: 2024

End Year: 2026

Scope of Action:

• Catalonia
• Valencian Community

Beneficiary: Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir Foundation (UCV)

Co-financed by: FEMPA

Partners: Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC)

Collaborating Entities:

• Fishermen's Guild of Moraira
• Fishermen's Guild of Jávea
• Fishermen's Guild of Cadaqués
• Fishermen's Guild of Roses
• Fishermen's Guild of Port de la Selva
• Marine Citizen Science Platform "Observadores del Mar"
• University of Oviedo