Climate Change and Range Shifts The science crew sorts clams and collects data during a cooperative clam survey.
photo credit: Roger Mann. The Atlantic surfclam fishery is a high-value commercial fishery in the US. Changes in the species’ range have important economic and social implications for the fishery and associated industries. I am part of a multidisciplinary team addressing the complex problem of climate-driven range shift the Atlantic surfclam fishery. To understand the response of the surfclam population to a changing environment, I am studying physiological responses of clams to changing bottom water temperatures and working with physical oceanographers to determine patterns of larval connectivity in the fished stock.
