09 Jan SECOS Millennium Institute researchers win proposals in coastal socioecology in Fondecyt Postdoctoral 2024 funding program
The projects awarded with the support of UCN, UC, and UBB are focused on assessing the socio-ecological vulnerability of razor clam and clam fisheries in the Gulf of Arauco, analyzing land-ocean interactions through the impacts of land-use change in five major river basins in the country, and exploring coastal governance mechanisms that promote intercommunity dialogue within the Marine Coastal Areas for Indigenous Peoples (ECMPO) during application processes.
The proposals by Nicolás Latorre (UCN), Steven Mons (UC), and Elizabeth Curra (UBB), postdoctoral researchers at the Millennium Institute for Coastal Socio-Ecology (SECOS), were selected in the 2024 Fondecyt Postdoctoral Fellowship Competition organized by the National Research and Development Agency (ANID). This competition promotes the scientific productivity and leadership of early-career researchers holding a Ph.D. degree by supporting the development of research projects. Its aim is to contribute to professional and academic career development, as well as to foster interaction and collaboration with established research groups.
In this way, the competition funds scientific or technological research initiatives that lead to the generation of new knowledge. “At SECOS, we make a significant effort to train individuals under the socio-ecological paradigm. Therefore, the awarding of these three FONDECYT postdoctoral fellowships to researchers trained in coastal socio-ecological systems and committed to advancing sustainability represents a significant milestone for our institution. The proposals were well evaluated and awarded, and they represent important projects focused on these systems, which will be approached in an interdisciplinary manner with support from both the sponsoring institutions and SECOS,” said Pilar Haye, deputy director of SECOS and professor at the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN).
Funded projects
The project led by Nicolás Latorre, a SECOS postdoctoral researcher at Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN)—sponsored by Pilar Haye, professor at UCN’s Faculty of Marine Sciences—aims to assess the socio-ecological vulnerability of huepo and navajuela fisheries in the Gulf of Arauco, Biobío Region, in order to inform decision-making and improve coastal sustainability.
“To achieve this, we will carry out studies on genetic diversity and gene flow, which will help assess connectivity with populations outside the Gulf over a sampling range of approximately 800 km. In addition, we will work with local fishing communities to evaluate their social vulnerability and then map the socio-ecological vulnerability in this area,” explains Latorre.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Curra from the Universidad del Bío-Bío, supported by UBB professor and SECOS and COPAS-Coastal researcher Gonzalo Saldías, will analyze land–ocean interactions through the impacts of land-use change in five major river basins across the country. Her goal is to understand the spatial and temporal variability of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the coastal zone and its influence on primary productivity (e.g., chlorophyll).
“Colored dissolved organic matter contributes to biogeochemical cycles in the water, produces CO₂ as a byproduct, and plays a role in processes such as light attenuation, among others. However, there is still limited information on how land use and land-use change impact the availability and composition of CDOM—especially in Chile—and the effects this may have on primary productivity in adjacent coastal zones,” the researcher explains.
Lastly, Steven Mons from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, supported by UC professor, SECOS director, and CAPES researcher Stefan Gelcich, will investigate coastal governance mechanisms that foster intercommunity dialogue within the framework of Marine Coastal Areas for Indigenous Peoples (Espacios Costeros Marinos para Pueblos Originarios, ECMPOs) that are currently under application. To do so, he will analyze two ECMPO applications in the Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions to study emerging territorialities and conflicts between Indigenous communities and artisanal fishers.
“The high number of ECMPO applications over the past 15 years has created tensions among different social actors, particularly in southern Chile. My research will focus mainly on the territorial controversies that have emerged between Indigenous organizations and non-Indigenous artisanal fishers,” adds Mons. The aim of the study is to propose coastal governance mechanisms that incorporate blue justice as a guiding principle to respond to new territorialities and geographies of conflict in the two ECMPO application areas in southern Chile: one in the Los Ríos Region and one in the Los Lagos Region.