The Atlas of Climate Risks for Chile (ARCLIM) is a project of the Ministry of the Environment of the Government of Chile, developed by the Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2) and the Center for Global Change (CCG-Catholic University of Chile) with the collaboration of other national and international institutions, including the Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR).
At ARCLIM, the INCAR Center work team, led by the Principal Investigator of the center’s Integrative Program, Dr. Doris Soto, developed the risk maps in the Aquaculture areas, and collaborated in others such as Artisanal Fishing.
The general objective of the working group is to prepare climate change risk maps for the two main aquaculture systems in Chile, salmon farming and mussel farming. In this sense, the study area corresponds to the administrative regions of southern Chile where the development of both industries is concentrated, between the Biobío and Magallanes regions in the case of salmon farming and, in a limited way, the Los Lagos region for mussel farming. The most common threats are associated with increases in water temperatures due to increases in air temperatures and increased radiation.
– Salmon farming: Loss of production due to less supply of fresh water
The maps describe the risk from climate change for the production of salmon eggs and juveniles in freshwater fish farms. The risk is a function that depends on future hydro-climatic trends (threats), the reported production in these farming units (exposure) and the type of land cover present in the watersheds that supply the fish farms (sensitivity).
– Loss of salmon biomass by HAB
The map represents the chain of risk of losing biomass of salmon in the grow-out phase (in saltwater) due to the potential increase in Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) due to decreased rainfall. The analysis is carried out for each Salmon Concession Association (ACS) or neighborhoods in the Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes regions.- Loss of salmon biomass due to increased parasites
The map represents the risk chain of losing salmon biomass in the fattening phase (in salt water) due to the potential increase in parasitism due to decreased rainfall and increased salinity. The analysis is carried out for each Salmon Concession Association (ACS) or neighborhoods in the Los Lagos, Aysen and Magallanes regions.
– Biomass loss of mussels in the fattening phase by HAB
These maps represent the chain of impact associated with the risk of losing biomass of mussels in the grow-out (harvest) phase due to the increase in Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) as a consequence of the decrease in rainfall. The analysis is carried out in the communes of the Los Lagos Region where there is a harvest of mussels.
