Researchers at the Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR) have been granted funding through the ECOS ANID 2024 Scientific Cooperation Program for their proposal titled “Understanding the Effects of Climate Change on Shellfish Aquaculture through Hologenomics/Comprendre les Effets du Changement Climatique sur la Conchyliculture par l’Hologénomique (BivalOMICS).” This initiative, led by Dr. Cristian Gallardo-Escárate, Dr. Valentina Valenzuela-Muñoz, and Dr. Diego Valenzuela-Miranda, focuses on examining the effects of climate change on the marine microbiome and its influence on vital ecosystem processes.
The primary objective of this proposal is to formulate sustainable management strategies for bivalve farming and to enhance the diversification of aquaculture practices. The study will concentrate on economically important species such as the mussels Mytilus chilensis (Chilean mussel) and Mytilus edulis (Atlantic blue mussel), as well as the oysters Crassostrea gigas (Japanese oyster), and Ostrea chilensis (Chilean oyster). These species are crucial for maintaining ecosystem balance due to their filtering capabilities, nutrient contributions, and support for benthic diversity. The international collaboration, endorsed by INCAR, also features Dr. Yeny Leal-Acosta as a Postdoctoral Researcher, alongside graduate students Constanza Sáez-Vera (PhD) and Marcelo Muñoz-Troncoso (Master’s), who will travel to Normandy, France, to participate in various research activities at the Université de Caen Basse-Normandie.
The project is scheduled to begin in 2025 and will span three years, with Dr. Guillaume Rivière from the Université de Caen Basse-Normandie acting as the project leader in France.
