The Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) has started the fieldwork phase of the ZAMFER project, a research initiative aimed at improving knowledge, conservation and sustainable management of the variegated scallop (Mimachlamys varia) in the Ferrol estuary, where the only currently exploitable natural bed of this species in Galicia is located.
The research, led by the Ecophysiology, Biomarkers and Sustainable Management of Bivalves group (EsMaBa), will run until the end of 2027 and is funded by the Regional Ministry for the Sea of the Xunta de Galicia through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), within the framework of the REDEMAR Network.
During these first weeks, the IIM-CSIC research team is accompanying technicians from the fishermen’s guilds of the Ferrol estuary in sampling campaigns aimed at estimating the population density of the variegated scallop bed and analysing the population structure and size ranges of the species. Close collaboration with the fishing sector is one of the project’s fundamental pillars and will make it possible to move towards management based on scientific knowledge and the experience of the people who work in the marine environment.
ZAMFER arises in a context that is especially relevant for the conservation of the species. After several years of stable catches, a high-mortality episode was recorded in 2024 that significantly reduced variegated scallop populations in the Ferrol estuary, highlighting the need to strengthen scientific knowledge and develop new tools to guarantee the sustainability of the resource.
With this objective, the project will address the spatial characterisation of the species’ habitat and the production of maps for adults and juveniles, the study of reproductive biology under current environmental conditions, and the assessment of obtaining local seed to help reinforce natural populations.
The initiative also includes the joint development, together with the sector, of a specific management plan for the Ferrol estuary, as well as knowledge-transfer and dissemination actions to strengthen synergies between science and fishing activity.
Generating knowledge about the ecology and population dynamics of the variegated scallop will allow progress towards more resilient management models, capable of responding to mortality events and the effects of global change, contributing to the conservation of one of Galicia’s most distinctive and valuable marine resources.
An example of how collaboration between the scientific community and the fishing sector drives innovative solutions for biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources.
News items:
