Acronym BISPECIAI
Category
Aquaculture
Title Bivalves in a polluted environment subject to climate change Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Rosa L. Freitas Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (Portugal)
Institutions involved
MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (Portugal) ,
Start year 2018 End year 2022 Funding (€) € 239,939 Website https://www.cesam-la.pt/projetos/bispeciai-bivalves-num-ambiente-poluido-e-sujeito-a-alteracoes-climaticas/ Summary The problem to be investigated: BISPECIAl is an integrative project that aims to generate knowledge about marine bivalves, in particular two species of clams (Ruditapes decussatus, R. philippinarum), namely with regard to the changes induced in these species due to environmental changes, such as changes related to exposure to emerging pollutants (drugs and nanomaterials) and climate change (changes in temperature and salinity, acidification of seawater). The relevance of the problem: In marine systems, organisms are exposed to a combination of different stressors that create a complexity of environmental and ecotoxicological risks. Several stressors have been identified as drivers of environmental change that can significantly influence coastal marine systems. These include the magnitude and duration of exposure to emerging pollutants and changes in the range and variability of physical and chemical conditions related to climate change. However, the toxicity resulting from the mixing of pollutants has not received much attention to date, especially in predicted climate change scenarios. Since these environmental stressors typically do not act alone, BISPECIAl will identify the early warning signs of changes in the environment and measure the impact on clams exposed to this combination of stressors. The two species selected for this study represent organisms with a high socio-economic value and play an important ecological role in marine systems. In Portugal, the annual production of clams represents 42% of the total seafood production. Ideas that will allow to achieve the proposed objectives: BISPECIAl will use a set of ecotoxicological tools that will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how these environmental stressors affect bivalves, measuring over time the induced changes in transcriptomics, metabolomics, biochemistry and physiology. This integrated approach will provide the basis for a new ecotoxicological risk analysis framework that can be used as an "early warning" system to detect and measure the role of interactions of various environmental stressors and emerging pollutants in current and future climate scenarios. Expected results: BISPECIAl will generate fundamental knowledge for the establishment of guidelines and practices that ensure the preservation and sustainability of biological resources, allowing to predict and mitigate the impacts of these stressors. In a close relationship with key stakeholders (citizen-science), the results of this project will contribute significantly to environmental risk assessment and development of national and European environmental management strategies, forcing policy makers to generate procedures based on scientific data, with a view to preserving the environment and its biological resources.
Keywords
Bivalve;
Shellfish;
Climate change;
Biology;
Mollusc;
Grooved carpet shell;
Risk assessment;
Genetic;
Pollution;
Impacts;
Manila clam;
Guidelines;
Environmental impact;
Marine Region
38
Portuguese Waters (27.IXa,27.IXb)
1
Marine Region Map
