Bivalve spp. in Southern California Ecoregion: Abundance, Life History & Projected Risk

To assess a species’ risk to environmental stressors, we compiled extensive data on abundance, natural history traits and habitat data for specific taxon living within a depth of 0-200 m. Data are compiled in CBRAT, the web-based ‘Coastal Biodiversity Risk Analysis Tool’. Species information is reported at an ecoregion scale allowing for large-scale geographic comparisons. This dataset contains all bivalves (oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, etc.) present in the Southern California ecoregion within 0-200 m depth.

Impact/Purpose

Near coastal species are experiencing physiological stress and reduced fitness due to changing ocean conditions, including warmer, more acidic water and higher sea-levels. Ecological effects such as shifts in species’ distribution and changes in trophic interactions are occurring within near-shore ecosystems. Changes in ocean chemistry are impacting marine calcifiers’ ability to build shell material, potentially reducing shellfish availability and changing how and where shellfish can be cultured. Vulnerability assessments to identify which commercially, recreationally and economically important species are most at risk is greatly needed to identify research priorities at state and federal levels. Data produced from the CBRAT web-tool are intended for use by federal and state resource managers, fellow researchers, as well as the public and cultural groups, as they consider adaptation and resilience strategies for species most impacted by climate change.

Citation

Folger, C., H. Lee II, R. Graham, AND B. Reusser. Bivalve spp. in Southern California Ecoregion: Abundance, Life History & Projected Risk. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2019.