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Welcome to ECClima! Since last century, mean air
temperature has been rising, with predicted increases for Europe of
up to 6.3ºC by 2100. In estuaries, sea level rise caused by glacier
meltdown may lead to changes in tidal patterns, river flows and
sediment balance. Climate change will affect estuarine organisms
both directly and indirectly via trophic relationships. Since most
organisms can only survive within specific latitudinal i.e. thermal
ranges, temperature rise will cause migration of some species while
others may suffer vast population losses. Those which do migrate may
be exposed to higher predation pressure and to poor food conditions.
Therefore, the ECClima project’s goal is to predict climate change
impacts, namely temperature rise, on the ecophysiology and
production of estuarine organisms. Focus is made on abundant species
common to a wide geographic area, in three estuaries, Minho
(Portugal) in the south, the Wadden Sea (The Netherlands) at
intermediate latitude, and Skibotn, Tromsø (Norway) in the north,
and hence covering a large latitudinal range. The resultant
information will be further analysed in the light of Integrated
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) of Minho estuary in order to propose
mitigation and adaptation measures in a climate change context.
Visit to Minho estuary:
Saturday, 9 April 2011 (limited number of participants) |
