MARISCO

On Europe’s Atlantic coast, the effects of climate change will manifest themselves, according to scientific estimates, in increasingly frequent and intense heat waves or extreme rainfall that have modified the salinity of the waters of the estuaries. This will cause effects that will lead to the loss of marine biodiversity and alteration of ecosystems. The Galician coast (NW Spain), especially the Rías Baixas, stands out for hosting one of the most important bivalve fisheries in Europe in terms of catches and employment, as well as for its great socio-economic relevance in the environment.  

Although scientific research on climate change impacts has increased in recent years, few studies have explored the social impacts on small-scale fisheries. Using Galiciaas a case study, the Marisco team has investigated individual and household-level adaptive responses to climate change among fishers, estimating the economic vulnerability of shellfishers and assessing the diversity of social adaptive responses used to deal with climate change.