Résumé
n many parts of the world, both wild and cultured populations of bivalves have been struck by mass mortality episodesbecause of climatic and anthropogenic stressors whose causes and consequences are not always clearly understood. Such outbreakshave resulted in a range of responses from the social (fishers or farmers) and governing systems. We analyzed six commercial bivalveindustries affected by mass mortalities using I-ADApT, a decision support framework to assess the impacts and consequences of theseperturbations on the natural, social, and governing systems, and the consequent responses of stakeholders to these events. We proposea multidimensional resilience framework to assess resilience along the natural, social, and governing axes and to compare adaptiveresponses and their likelihood of success. The social capital and governability of the local communities were key factors affecting thecommunities’ resilience and adaptation to environmental changes, but the rapid degradation of natural ecosystems puts the bivalveindustry under a growing threat. Bivalve mariculture and fishing industries are likely to experience increased frequency, severity, andprevalence of such mass mortality events if the resilience of the natural systems is not improved. An understanding of previousadaptation processes can inform strategies for building adaptive capacity to future events.