Ecophysiology, Biomarkers and Sustainable Management of Bivalves
The blue economy in Galicia cannot be understood without bivalves.
From mussels farmed on the many rafts that populate the rias to scallops and clams, bivalves are one of the key pillars of aquaculture in the Autonomous Community. Their strategic importance makes it necessary to study in depth the ecological interactions of bivalve farming in order to assess the effects that climate change could have on them, and to develop new and more sustainable tools for aquaculture management.
Following this line of work, the Ecophysiology, Biomarkers and Sustainable Management of Bivalves group at IIM-CSIC (also known as EsMaBa) researches this strategic field, with a special interest in mussels (Mytilus spp.).
The research team works to understand the ecophysiology of bivalves, that is, how their physiology is affected by environmental conditions, and to develop new methods for the continuous measurement of the ecological parameters surrounding farmed animals, such as valvometry. For example, the group studies the biochemistry of bivalve secretions, such as byssus or shells, and the way in which the environment determines their hardness, a fundamental factor in ensuring that mussels attach properly to the ropes used in raft farming.
Based on these ecophysiological studies, the group can determine the impact of climate and global change, bioinvasions and other threats on exploited bivalve species, as well as model the ecosystem carrying capacity, thereby providing new aquaculture management tools that incorporate an ecosystem perspective.
