In an extensive research initiative that lasted five years along the Northeast coast, scientists have developed a spatial map of the ocean that demonstrates how different fishing communities can adapt their practices in response to climate change.
In an extensive research initiative that lasted five years along the Northeast coast, a professor from Wellesley College is investigating how different fishing communities can modify their fishing practices to adapt to climate change.
Rebecca Selden, who teaches biological sciences at Wellesley, is creating a “spatial sea map” that illustrates the adaptive approaches of 266 fishing communities along the East Coast, from North Carolina to Maine. Her work, carried out with colleagues from four other institutions, was published on October 15 in the ICES Journal of Marine Science.
Selden’s research is among the first to provide detailed, high-resolution insights on how specific communities might adjust their fishing strategies in light of climate change. Understanding these community-level dynamics is essential for identifying which communities may be more vulnerable or resilient to shifts in the availability of fish species.
Selden points out that climate change is reshaping the ocean environment in multiple ways. For instance, water is becoming more acidic, species are being forced to relocate in response to rising temperatures, and ocean space is being reallocated for new uses like offshore wind turbines.
“These transformations can pose challenges for fishing communities that depend on marine resources,” Selden explains. “Many communities have adapted by diversifying what they catch or where they fish to respond to the shifting patterns of fish availability.” However, there is often a lack of understanding regarding how different communities are specifically adjusting. “It’s vital to comprehend what adaptations are effective in varying locations,” she adds.
To delve deeper into how individual communities adapt, Selden contributed to the development of a Communities at Sea (CaS) database. This database connects historical fishing data from the ocean to local port communities, enabling researchers and policymakers to quantitatively assess how flexible, adaptable, and mobile these fishing communities are in the Northeast U.S.
Her analysis reveals that different communities and fishing methods are adjusting in unique ways to the evolving marine landscape. For instance, scallop dredge fleets are very adaptable and can move easily to follow scallops as they shift northward or to deeper waters. Conversely, trawl fleets tend to stick with their traditional fishing spots while switching the types of fish they target. Lobster trap communities in the Gulf of Maine have maintained their focus on both their traditional locations and their usual catch. In contrast, trap fleets in Southern New England are adapting to declining lobster populations by diversifying their catch to include Jonah crab and whelk.
Therefore, ports that are only a few miles apart can have significantly different capabilities for adapting to change, as well as using diverse strategies for doing so, based on the variety of fleets operating there.
The spatial seascape that Selden has produced provides vital community-level insights, helping to identify fishing communities that struggle to adjust their catch and fishing locations. This knowledge will help direct efforts to lower barriers for diversification, develop new markets, and implement policies that enable fishermen to successfully navigate changing ocean conditions, according to Selden.
“Fishermen are open to change,” Selden remarks. “The obstacles to adaptation often stem from regulations and policies, rather than from the fishermen or the communities themselves.”
Some of the communities included in Selden’s research are small and possibly lesser-known, like Harwichport, Massachusetts, which has fewer than five vessels in each of its two current fleets. Other communities are larger and more recognized, such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, which has been the top U.S. port in terms of overall fishery revenue for the past two decades.
One objective of Selden’s research is to highlight these smaller communities, which might otherwise not benefit as much from new policies, she explains.
Looking ahead, Selden is working to compare the adaptability of fishing communities on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. through collaborations with natural and social scientists at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center.
Selden hopes that her findings will have a positive impact on policy-making. “Many fishermen have a great capacity for change,” she observes. “Often, it’s the regulations that create the limitations. By developing a comprehensive marine spatial map for the contiguous United States, we can aid in making more informed decisions at local, regional, and international levels.”
