Science at UM [S03-ep12]: Fish on the Moon

[Podcast] - Published on December 22, 2023 in Science-Society

This week on A l’UM la science, Cyrille Przybyla talks to us about space aquaculture, or how to farm fish on the Moon. A long-format interview for the last episode of A l’UM la science in 2023. A program co-produced with Divergence FM and broadcast every Wednesday at 6 p.m. on 93.9.

In 2015, astronauts on the International Space Station tasted the first lettuce grown in space. Since then, radishes, wheat, and even chili peppers have taken root at an altitude of more than 400,000 kilometers. This is a luxury when most of the food available on board is irradiated, freeze-dried, or canned, but it's not enough to satisfy hunger, especially in view of future missions to the Moon.

So how can these astronauts be provided with their required intake of protein, particularly animal protein, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids? With fish! Except that, barring a miraculous catch, you'll agree that there's little chance of spotting any in the Sea of Serenity. It was to address this lunar problem that our guest took his hands out of the water and raised them to the sky. Cyrille Przybyla is a marine biologist at the Ifremer L-3AS laboratory and the Marbec laboratory. He is a specialist in integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA), and what he proposes is almost magical, as it involves sending fish eggs into space to raise them... on the Moon.

At UM Science, you have the program, so let's get started!

Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Aline Périault / Lucie Lecherbonnier
Production: Alice Rollet

Listen to the program “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9

Keywords: Science at UM, Research, Science, Company