Photo: University of Rio Grande Support Foundation

The Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis) is widely processed and canned in the South and Southeast for sale nationwide.

“The Multisar project is a multidisciplinary approach to the Brazilian sardine” that will study its distribution, estimate the species’ abundance in areas where it is known to shoal, and examine the factors that cause those concentrations. It will also study the species’ food chain, parasitology, toxicology, population structure and the oceanographic conditions of its preferred habitats.

In order to do this, samples will be obtained by seagoing study vessels during the commercial fishing season, in a manner wholly independent of the commercial fleets. In addition to monitoring the environmental variables, these vessels will also examine the species that share sardine habitat, and collate data from underwater probes. Partnerships have been sealed with the fisheries sector to integrate the various stakeholders and thus increase the likelihood of project success. The University of Rio Grande Support Foundation is in charge of the initiative.