IMTA is an aquaculture system that combines the cultivation of species from different trophic or nutritional levels in a sustainable way and in the correct proportions. Inspiration for this practice comes from nature, specifically the food chain, in which the output (waste resulting from metabolic activity) of one species serves as an input (natural nutrients and fertilisers) for the other species under cultivation. In this way, the waste obtained from the production process is put to use and assimilated by other organisms, converting it too into products of value for the marketplace.
The strategy behind this type of aquaculture involves choosing the species based on their roles within the ecosystem, on their commercial value or economic potential and on the sizes of the various populations, so that the ecosystem is balanced. The general aim is to combine fish production with organic and inorganic extractive species, such as molluscs and seaweeds respectively, in which the inorganic material created by the fish production is used to feed the seaweed population, which in turn is subsequently used in biofilter production.
The IMTA system can be deployed on land or in freshwater or open sea systems. Using tanks on land has the main advantage of controlling the flow of water between the tanks and recirculating it, allowing adjustment of the concentration of organic and inorganic material in the water, according to the needs of the species in production.
The BioHub aims to house the first Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture project in Portugal, thus becoming an example of sustainability, which is: