IMIS - Marine Onderzoeksgroepen

The increased frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves due to climate change represents one of the most severe threats to coastal ecosystems, raising growing scientific and social concerns. In this context, climate refuges emerge as strategic areas that maintain more stable environmental conditions, offering shelter to marine life from extreme events and aiding species’ survival and adaptation. These refuges are thus priority areas for managing and conserving marine resources. As mobile organisms, fish respond to environmental changes by adjusting their behaviour, moving to these refuges during unfavourable periods. Therefore, changes in the activity and spatial use of fish communities are ideal indicators for identifying refuge areas within a region. However, this aspect has been underexplored, mainly due to the challenge of monitoring fish behaviour in the wild. This project aims to use advanced biotelemetry techniques to enhance the identification of climate refuges within the Marine Reserve Network of the Balearic Islands. To achieve this, the project will implant biosensors (acoustic transmitters) in 20 individuals of several coastal fish species of significant interest to recreational and traditional fisheries in the Balearic Islands to collect data on their location, depth, and activity in their natural environment for at least one year. These data will be integrated with diverse environmental data sources (sensors, oceanographic buoys, etc.) and analysed using statistical models to identify the behavioural changes of each species in response to water temperature variations. The project results will allow for identifying thermal preferences and climate refuges for each species and quantifying the vulnerability of their populations to climate change. This information will be crucial in designing adapted management plans that ensure sustainable fishing practices compatible with conservation efforts. The project is led by a postdoctoral researcher with extensive experience in fish behaviour studies, telemetry techniques, and climate change impacts, member of a well-established research group, ensuring both the success and impact of the project.