Non-native Cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775) as a bioreactor in the sustainable production of blue products

Cassiopeia andromeda, a zooxanthellate jellyfish, was among the first marine species to migrate through the Suez Canal over a century ago and establish itself in the Mediterranean Sea. ALer a few sporadic records, C. andromeda now appears to be widely distributed across the southern Mediterranean. C. andromeda hosts zooxanthellae, forming a semi-autotrophic holobiont that is a rich source of valuable bioactive compounds, including fatty acids, primarily polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as DHA, EPA, antioxidant pigments produced by its photosynthetic dinoflagellate symbionts, photoprotective molecules, pep0des, and other compounds of interest for bioprospecting. Although it can be cultured with relative ease, indoor farming requires complex and energy-intensive infrastructure. By contrast, natural populations in Italy are flourishing, resilient, and capable of producing and accumulating biocompounds. Under these optimal environmental conditions, C. andromeda populations can yield substantial biomass. Nearly 40-50% of the dry biomass of Cassiopea andromeda consists of compounds that can be extracted using green solvents, including a high quantity and diversity of antioxidant molecules. Moreover, some compounds isolated from C. andromeda extracts have shown promising biological activity and cytotoxicity pattern in Caco2 cell culture assays, highlighting the potential of this species as a source of nutraceutical ingredients. We are currently monitoring the physicochemical parameters and compositional features of natural C. andromeda populations in Italy to evaluate the feasibility of establishing nearshore jellyfish aquaculture. The biomass shows strong potential as a sustainable source of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and/or cosmeceutical applications within a circular-economy framework.