Frontiers in Marine Science (Oct 2024)
Combining the uncombinable: corporate memories, ethnobiological observations, oceanographic and ecological data to enhance climatic resilience in small-scale fisheries
Abstract
The global food production system is increasingly strained by abrupt and unpredictable weather events, which hinder communities' ability to adapt to climate variations. Despite advances in meteorological predictions, many communities lack the academic knowledge or infrastructure to interpret these complex models. This gap highlights the need for solutions that make climate forecasts more accessible and actionable, especially for communities reliant on natural resources. This study explores the potential of enhancing seasonal climate forecasts by integrating local ecological knowledge (LEK) with scientific data. Specifically, we combined ethnobiological information gathered between 2022 and 2024 with existing oceanographic and ecological data to create an ethnobiological calendar for four fishing cooperatives. An ethnographic approach was used to understand the population's ethnobiological knowledge and their perceptions of marine heatwaves and climate change impacts. Coastal monitoring data was collected using moorings that recorded temperature over a 14-year period (2010–2024). To characterize giant kelp dynamics, we used an existing dataset of multispectral Landsat images, which estimates the surface canopy biomass of giant kelp forests. Ecological monitoring was conducted annually every summer from 2006 to 2023 to record the in situ abundance of ecologically and economically important invertebrate and fish species. Combining oceanographic, ecological, and ethnographic data, allowed for alligning fishers' observations with recorded marine heatwave events and ecological shifts. Our findings revealed that these observations closely matched documented marine heatwave data and corresponding ecological changes. The integration of LEK with scientific oceanographic data can significantly improved our understanding of dynamic climate regimes, offering contextually relevant information that enhances the reliability and utility of seasonal climate forecasts. By incorporating yearly data into an ethnobiological calendar, we promote more inclusive, community-based approaches to environmental management, advocating for the integration of LEK in climate adaptation efforts, emphasizing its crucial role in strengthening resilience strategies against climatic shocks.
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