Spanish initiative to assess climate change impacts on marine aquaculture development

The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the University of Cantabria (IHCantabria) has presented the project AcuAdapt – Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies for Spanish Marine Aquaculture.

This project, funded through the PLEAMAR call from the Biodiversity Foundation and co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), aims to assess the risks that climate change may pose to the development of marine aquaculture along the entire Spanish coastline.

Thanks to this assessment, which integrates environmental and socio-economic variables from coastal areas, estuaries, and rías, IHCantabria will promote sustainable maritime spatial planning and strengthen the blue economy.

Specifically, AcuAdapt uses the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate risk assessment framework, which combines hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, together with the Aquaculture Suitability Index.

In addition, it combines historical data with future climate projections, considering medium- and long-term time horizons (2040–2060 and 2080–2100). This will make it possible to assess cultivation suitability and risk levels for different species and areas along the Spanish coastline.

For more resilient maritime planning, the project results will be translated into thematic maps and GIS layers compatible with planning tools, which can be used by public administrations and sector stakeholders.

Finally, AcuAdapt will be available on the official Pleamar Programme website, where progress and results will be regularly updated, as well as on the REECEA platform (Spanish Network of Knowledge Spaces for the Blue Economy).