RESILIENCE
Increasing Aquaculture Resilience
Research Line 6 (RL6) focuses on strengthening the sustainability of Chilean aquaculture by reducing its impacts on marine ecosystems and enhancing its capacity to adapt to climate change.
FOCUS
Despite the rapid early growth of salmon and mussel farming, the sector now faces stagnation due to spatial limitations, regulatory constraints, and increasing environmental pressures. RL6 addresses a critical gap: the lack of ecosystem-scale assessments and accessible tools to evaluate and communicate the real impacts of aquaculture. At the same time, it responds to emerging threats such as harmful algal blooms, rising temperatures, hypoxia, salinity changes, and parasite proliferation, all intensified by climate change.
RESEARCH LINE
Objectives
- 01
Develop a Traffic Light System (TLS) to regulate aquaculture production based on ecosystem carrying capacity and emission thresholds.
- 02
Build a dynamic climate risk mapping system integrating environmental, production, socioeconomic, and governance variables.
- 03
Design adaptation strategies to reduce risks and create new opportunities under climate change.
- 04
Create innovative ecosystem assessment models to evaluate natural and aquaculture-driven variability, particularly in emerging regions like Magallanes.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Technological Contributions and Applications
RL6 delivers cutting-edge tools for sustainable aquaculture management, including:
- 01
A TLS digital platform and decision-support system to guide production limits and spatial planning.
- 02
Climate risk mapping tools for improved site selection and farm management.
- 03
Flexible regulatory and farm-siting models that enable adaptive, science-based decision-making.
- 04
Production and economic models to optimize efficiency, resilience, and cost-effectiveness.
- 05
Benthic biodiversity monitoring systems and ecosystem health indicators.
- 06
Climate adaptation plans and governance frameworks fostering public–private collaboration.
IMPACT
A resilient and sustainable aquaculture aligned with ecosystem conservation
Through these innovations, RL6 provides actionable, science-based solutions to improve environmental performance, support regulatory modernization, and promote a resilient and sustainable aquaculture industry aligned with ecosystem conservation.