Sustainability
Planktonic's harvesting model is built to meet the aquaculture industry's needs without compromising sustainability. Our barnacle production is a closed, nature-driven annual cycle rather than an extractive harvest. We hold seven Norwegian aquaculture licenses. Each spring, free-swimming barnacle larvae naturally present in the water settle on substrates we place at our sites. They grow to maturity over the season feeding entirely on naturally occurring plankton- we add no feed, fertiliser or chemicals. We harvest mature adults once a year, in winter, in line with their natural maturation cycle, and use their eggs to produce CryoPlankton. The cycle then repeats itself.
In 2026, Planktonic harvested 250 tonnes of biomass and controls approximately 320,000 m² of production area, holding around 550,000 m of growth substrate.
reduction in hatchery footprint.
improvement in long-term FCR in grow-out.
of global artemia supply comes from an ecosystem under threat.
~1 hour - the daily thaw-and-feed routine
How CryoPlankton is grown
From Fjord to fishtank
Barnacle larvae settle naturally on substrates along the Norwegian coast every spring. They feed only on the plankton already present in the water. No supplementary feed, no fertiliser, no chemical treatment required. Once a year, in winter, we harvest. The following spring, the wild sites resettle on their own. It's an extensive system, not an intensive one: production scales with what the ecosystem naturally provides, at a low trophic level, rather than depleting a finite stock. Barnacles are also natural biofilters- as they feed, they assimilate excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water column, quietly improving water quality around each site.
What makes CryoPlankton sustainable
A low-trophic choice
Barnacles feed directly on primary production. Since only 10% of energy transfers between trophic levels, using barnacle nauplii directly as larval feed is far more resource-efficient than fishmeal and fish oil. This means lower bioaccumulation of contaminants and heavy metals. Barnacle production also delivers an ecosystem. By filtering large volumes of phytoplankton, the barnacles act as natural biofilters, assimilating excess nitrogen and phosphorus from coastal waters and helping counteract eutrophication.
Barnacles feed on algae and microscopic organisms, instead of wild fish stocks. This makes it one of the most resource-efficient inputs available for early-stage marine aquaculture.
Stronger, healthier larvae produced with a natural, biosecure live feed are less vulnerable to early-stage disease. Over time, that reduces the operational drivers for antibiotic use in hatcheries. This means customers can credibly carry an antibiotic-free message throughout their production process and downstream to market.
The barnacle farming cycle follows the organism's own biology, avoiding synthetic inputs or artificial stimulation.
Improving hatchery efficiency means more seafood produced from the same, or fewer resources, reducing the environmental footprint of marine aquaculture overall.
Roughly 45% of global Artemia supply comes from the Great Salt Lake, a threatened ecosystem and critical food source for migratory birds. A sustainable alternative live feed carries a genuine biodiversity benefit.
CryoPlankton is stored directly in liquid-nitrogen dewars, without conventional plastic packaging.
The liquid nitrogen we use is effectively an industrial by-product of oxygen production, not a resource produced exclusively for our use.
Standards and governance
Certifications and frameworks
Independently audited food safety management certification.
Formal Norwegian regulatory approvals carrying siting, environmental and operational conditions.
Our Code of Conduct aligns with the Transparency Act, underpinned by the OECD Guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development goals
Utilising a new natural marine resource, which in the relevant scale occurs in abundance.
Increases production of seafood. Enables farming of new marine species and increases efficiency/output from existing fish and shrimp farming.
Increases food production with beneficial health effects for humans and less negative environmental impact.
Increases yield from the resources used in marine farming.
Get in touch
The right starting point is a discussion about your species, your operational priorities, and what you are trying to improve in production outcomes.
