Researchers develop new adaptation strategies to mitigate climate change impacts on coastal fisheries off Peru

The sea off the west coast of South America is one of the most productive fishing grounds of the world. In the Humboldt Current system, upwelling of cold and nutrient rich waters stimulate the growth of plankton that in turn serve as food for commercially exploited fish species, such as anchovy or mahi-mahi. Changes in the ecosystem due to increasing ocean warming does not only have an impact on the health of the oceans and fish populations in the region, but also on the worldwide fish and seafood market. In the Humboldt-Tipping project, scientists from Germany and Peru led by Kiel University have comprehensively investigated these relationships in the Humboldt upwelling area off the coast of Peru for four years and developed adaptation strategies together with local user groups to the changing environmental conditions. The research and its results from the first phase are published in the form of a virtual ...