Human dimensions of climate change and fisheries in a coupled system: the Atlantic surfclam case

Abstract

McCay, B. J., Brandt, S., and Creed, C. F. 2011. Human dimensions of climate change and fisheries in a coupled system: the Atlantic surfclam case. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1354–1367. Research on changes in a coupled marine system of the Mid-Atlantic Bight, focusing on Atlantic surfclams and the associated fishery and management system, is reviewed for how the human dimensions of this coupled socio-ecological system are addressed by the researchers. Our foci are on economic modelling of spatial choices, using dynamic optimization with adjustments that reflect better the natural and socio-economic realities of the fishery and on ethnographic observations of decision processes, particularly those of the regional fishery management council, with particular emphasis on cognitive frames and management communities. These are designed to be integrated with and to complement biophysical modelling of the complex coupled socio-ecological system.

Underestimation of primary productivity on continental shelves: evidence from maximum size of extant surfclam (Spisula solidissima) populations

“…Dietary flexibility, the ability to utilize benthic productivity during summer seasons when water column productivity is depressed, either through filter-feeding on regularly resuspended benthic material (surfclams and M. polynyma) or deposit-feeding (M. calcarea), may allow these bivalves to achieve unusually high biomass in broad continental shelf habitats in the northern hemisphere. These bivalves are trophically important; their substantial biomass provides a critical resource supplying higher trophic levels, such as the Pacific walrus (Sirenko and Gagaev, 2007;Ray et al, 2006), and supporting commercial fisheries (DFO, 2007;McCay et al, 2011). Projection of climate change impacts on higher trophic level production requires understanding these large bivalves inhabiting continental shelves worldwide, as sensitive indicators of changing climate (Roy et al, 2001;Kim and Powell, 2004;Weinberg, 2005) through their response to changes in temperature and cumulative food supply.…”

“…The resulting contraction in population distribution has major implications for the clam fishery. An effort is currently underway that uses biological models in a cohesive framework with oceanographic and socio-economic models to understand causes of declines in surfclam populations over the southern part of their range and to make predictive management decisions regarding biological and sociological goals of the fishery as both the clam and the fishery respond to climate change (McCay et al, 2011). A critical component to managing these biological responses is understanding food resources and growth of individual clams in this region.…”

Disciplinary reporting affects the interpretation of climate change impacts in global oceans

“…Social science disciplines also warrant focus in studies of ocean change and are highly relevant to considerations of current and future changes in the marine environment. Although beyond the scope of our review, marine climate change clearly affects social systems and how individuals and communities are responding to ocean change (e.g., McCay et al, 2011;Pinsky & Fogarty, 2012;Lauer et al, 2013). A growing body of literature is developing to assess the effects of ocean changes on social-ecological systems.…”

An Overview of Factors Affecting Distribution of the Atlantic Surfclam (Spisula solidissima), a Continental Shelf Biomass Dominant, During a Period of Climate Change

“…Shell carbonate is known to buffer sedimentary acid, thereby facilitating recruitment of many species (Guti errez et al 2003, Green et al 2004, Waldbusser et al 2010, providing shells that act as refuges for new recruits (Kraeuter et al 2003, Guay & Himmelman 2004, and providing bottom complexity that allows establishment of attached epifauna (Walker et al 1998, Parsons-Hubbard et al 2001, Brett et al 2011. The surfclam and its deeper water analog, the ocean quahog Arctica islandica, support a commercial fishery that generates $1.3 billion in economic value per annum (Murray personal communication), which represents a significant proportion of the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) commercial fishing industry (McCay et al 2011). In the 1960s, the range of the surfclam extended from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank (Fig. 1) and to a lesser extent into the Gulf of Maine (Palmer 1991), with commercially viable concentrations throughout much of this range.…”

“…This northeastward and offshore progression has been attributed to warming of MAB bottom waters (Weinberg et al 2002, Weinberg 2005. The decrease in biomass and shift in range has had significant implications for the surfclam fishery and its management (McCay et al 2011, Powell et al 2015a, Kuykendall et al 2017.…”