Title: researcher

Association/Company: Università degli studi di Padova

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Speech session
Pilot initiatives for Carbon Free shellfish farming

Speech
The impact of heat waves on the biology of the Philippine clam Ruditapes philippinarum

Abstract
Climate extreme events like Heatwaves (HWs) are a serious threat for marine ecosystems. One of the most threatened activities is bivalve aquaculture since bivalves are mostly farmed in coastal ecosystems where the effects of HWs will be more intense [1]. However, our knowledge regarding the effects of HWs on bivalves is still limited. To fill this gap, we used the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (the most farmed clam species worldwide) as model species to characterize in detail clams’ responses after an HW (i.e. 30 ˚C for 30 days).

Results of this study highlighted how multiple biological processes (at different level of biological organisation, from the transcriptional level up to the behaviour of organisms) are impacted by sublethal, prolonged HWs. We highlight the importance of extending our results to other bivalve species that are currently farmed in lagoons, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the taxon of bivalves will cope with HWs, which are predicted to be more frequent, intense and severe in the near future [5].