Breeding for improved perennial ryegrass (PRG) cultivars to support pastoral based production systems for milk and meat is a critically important goal. However, genetic gains for traits such as forage yield and quality have very much lagged behind genetic gain for agronomic traits in cereals. One reason for this is the long breeding cycle in a typical PRG breeding programme, where a single cycle of selection can take 5-6 years. Genomic selection (GS) is a form of marker assisted selection that simultaneously estimates all loci, haplotype, or marker effects across the entire genome to calculate Genomic Estimated Breeding Values (GEBVs). The main advantage that GS could offer PRG breeding is to enable multiple cycles of selection to be achieved in the same time it takes to do a single cycle of conventional selection, thereby increasing the rate of genetic gain. Improving digestibility of the forage leads to an increase in animal performance, and is therefore an important target trait for forage breeders. Furthermore, it has already been shown that increases in organic matter digestibility can reduce methane emissions. Reducing methane emissions is a key target of the EUs climate and energy policy. In this action I will focus on developing and validating GS equations for feed parameters that are being used as model inputs into the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS). This CNCPS is currently being adapted to predict nutritional value to the grazing animal in pasture based production systems, and it is envisaged that it will be able to identify feed parameters limiting milk-solid production and thereby direct future forage breeding efforts. The work of this action will lead to a novel and innovative forage breeding programme that can select for multiple feed parameters to develop the ideal forage cultivars for pasture production systems.

SEAwise will address the key challenge preventing implementation of a fully operational European Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management: the need to increase fisheries benefits while reducing ecosystem impact under environmental change and increasing competition for space. The SEAwise network of stakeholders, advisory bodies and scientists will co-design key priorities and approaches to provide an open knowledge base on European Social-Ecological Fisheries Systems. SEAwise will innovate the prediction of social indicators of small-scale fisheries, coastal communities, carbon footprint and human health benefits. Using these indicators in fisheries models will help give advice on economically effective and socially acceptable governance under climate change, productivity changes, and the landing obligation. SEAwise will link the first ecosystem-scale assessment of maritime activities’ impacts on habitats with the fish stocks they support. Using ecosystem effects on fishing, including environmental metrics, density dependence, predation, stock health indicators and habitat extent will improve stock productivity predictions. Estimating effects of fishing on sensitive species, benthic habitats, food webs, biodiversity and litter allows evaluation of the mutual consistency of objectives for ecological and social systems. Multispecies-multifleet models will provide ecosystem forecasts of the effect of fisheries management measures. SEAwise will identify the simplest possible combination of management measures and investigate portfolio diversification as an approach for managing ecosystem resilience and climate adaptation. SEAwise tools and courses for ICES, GFCM, stakeholders and decision makers will ensure that these methods can be used directly in Mediterranean, western European, North Sea and Baltic Sea waters. The predictions will inform an online advice tool highlighting stock- and fisheries-specific social and ecological effects and management trade-offs.

The ERA-NET Cofund BlueBio will act to unlock the potential of aquatic bio-resources to create jobs, economic growth and provide food, nutrition and bio-based products and services. Thus, paving the way for a sustainable and competitive Blue Bioeconomy in Europe. The goal is to identify new and improve existing ways of bringing bio-based products and services to the market and find new ways of creating value in the Blue bioeconomy. The objectives of BlueBio are to establish a coordinated R&D funding scheme that will strengthen Europe’s position in this complex economic field in a global market. This will primarily be achieved by engaging funding agencies to implement a co-funded call focusing on Blue Knowledge and technological developments to respond to needs and gaps for R&I. The consortium has committed budgets making a strong co-funded call leveraging well the Commission's requests. BlueBio builds upon the networks, achievements and strategies obtained in the COFASP and ERA-MBT ERA-NETs and JPI Oceans, and will leverage the JPI Oceans role as a coordination platform. The consortium aims to implement 2-4 additional calls, developed through stakeholder engagement, and identifying new funding initiatives. BlueBio will implement a range of related activities which can add value to the cofounded projects and better address the impact of R&I projects. BlueBio will enhance valorisation from the actors in the Blue Bioeconomy sector, identify and address R&I needs of industry and society. Communications activities will support BlueBio and the funded projects to realise tangible impacts. Emphasis will be placed on the creation of pre-commercial outputs aimed at accelerating commercialisation and competitive deployment. BlueBio's directions and legacy will be informed by strategic forward-looking processes involving all stakeholders in identifying needs and gaps along the value chains.