How climate-resilient are our temperate fisheries species? Searching for climate-proof fishes in extreme environments

Funding: 2024: $26,085
2023: $9,275
2025: $3,725

Project Member(s): Booth, D.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Discovery Projects)
Australian Research Council (ARC Discovery Projects)

Start year: 2023

Summary: This project tests how resilient our fisheries species are to climate change. Using extreme environments (natural warming hotspots and volcanic CO2 vents) we study populations of fisheries species that might be pre-adapted to future climates, and which could act as key populations for replenishment of future fisheries stocks. An innovative and interdisciplinary approach is used across the fields of ecology, genetics, behaviour, and physiology to evaluate the climate resilience of our fisheries species. This can provide a considerably improved forecast of climate adaptation of marine fishes to climate change through resilient genes and populations, and more realistic approaches for managing biodiversity and fisheries under climate change.

FOR Codes: Effects of climate change on Australia (excl. social impacts), Ecosystem adaptation to climate change, Animal adaptation to climate change , Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation, Global change biology, Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.