STUDY ZONE
The Southern Patagonia of Chile has one of the greatest fresh water reserves of the World and their numerous fjords and channels are considered a key region for aquaculture and the production of hydroelectric energy. This region has a unique ecosystem that is in continuous change, through evolutionary processes that have been happening since the opening of the Drake Passage and the formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) 30 million years ago.
As a result of global change, a decrease in the hedge of the Patagonian Ice Fields is predicted, the greatest water reserve in Chile, as well as the melting of the continental ice, causing floods in coastal sectors. Related to the above, variations in climate regimes are foreseen, to which we add an increasing demand for natural resources and the displacement of extractive economic activities towards extreme zones. All of the above will affect coastal and marine systems, transforming their structure and altering the dominant species, their functioning and levels of productivity. These impacts will be studied by the IDEAL Center in the fjords of the region of Magallanes.