CLIMEDREP – Proyecto Prometeo para Grupos de Investigación de Excelencia

En su última convocatoria del Programa Prometeo para Grupos de Investigación de Excelencia, la Generalitat Valenciana nos ha concedido el proyecto: Climate Change, Reproduction and Conservation of Aquatic Species in the Mediterranean Ecosystems (CLIMEDREP), que se desarrollará durante 4 años, entre septiembre de 2025 y agosto de 2029. El importe total de la subvención será de 600.000 €.

La investigadora responsable del Proyecto CLIMEDREP es Ana Gómez Peris del Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre la Sal (Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, CSIC), y participaremos investigadores del Instituto de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Zonas Costeras (Gandía, UPV), y del Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal (Valencia, UPV), todos ellos especialistas en distintos aspectos relacionados con la reproducción y la genética de especies acuáticas.

El resumen del proyecto es el siguiente:

The Mediterranean region, a biodiversity hotspot, faces significant challenges due to climate change, with rising ocean temperatures, increased frequency of heatwaves, and ocean acidification profoundly affecting marine and freshwater ecosystems. This project focuses on understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change on the reproduction and conservation of aquatic species in the Mediterranean. Key objectives include studying the impacts of rising temperatures on reproductive physiology and gametogenesis in commercially and ecologically significant species, such as the European sea bass, Senegalese sole, and some Mediterranean bivalves, as well as critically endangered species like the European eel and the loggerhead sea turtle. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the project explores molecular, physiological, and genetic mechanisms underlying climate-induced reproductive dysfunctions, develops conservation protocols for endangered species, and assesses the viability of populations under future climatic scenarios. The outcomes aim to inform sustainable management practices, enhance biodiversity conservation, and promote adaptation strategies within aquaculture and natural ecosystems, aligning with EU sustainability goals and addressing global biodiversity loss.