Sampling in the Rías Baixas

🚤🌊 After nearly two months of intense fieldwork, our scientific sampling campaign in the Galician Rías Baixas is coming to an end!

Since mid-May, my colleague Andreu Blanco and I (Marine Research Centre (CIM-UVIGO)//Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM)) have been collecting and processing sediment and water samples as part of a newly awarded research project, Benthic-Pro, funded by the CIM-posdou2025 (https://lnkd.in/dkdprKgy).

Our goal? To better understand how shellfish farming influences marine microphytobenthic communities and trophic dynamics in the Galician Rías (NW Iberian Peninsula). Samples were collected in three different rías, in some areas affected by shellfish banks, others by mussel rafts, and also in non-extractive zones, including protected areas in the National Park of the Atlantic Galician Islands. This region stands out for its high seafood production (worldwide) and its high marine biodiversity.

The field work has been intense —and sometimes challenging— but also incredibly rewarding and full of fascinating insights. Now begins the exciting work of analysing the samples!