A holistic approach to evaluating climate vulnerability of French Polynesia pearl oyster farming: Bridging communities and scientific knowledge

While there is wide consensus about the reliance of climate projections at global scale, there is still uncertainty about changes at finer scale and even less on the effects of such fluctuation for local economies and societies. The vulnerability of social-ecological systems (SES) to climate change is a framework that takes into account the strong link between environment and local communities that depend on ecosystem services to ensure their livelihoods. This study explores the vulnerability of pearl farming SES to climate change, combining scientific insights with local knowledge from French Polynesian communities. A preliminary list of eighty-two criteria of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, identified through a targeted scoping review, was used to develop the interview guide that informed fifty-six face-to-face interviews and workshops conducted in 2020 and 2025. Using a combination of ranking questions and open-ended responses, the results highlight differences in the perceived exposure between scientific/institutional actors and local communities, which is reflected in the degree of sensitivity of the SES to climate drivers. Expectedly, the priorities given to adaptation measures were also different. The thematic analysis of the responses, however, shows that the two parties are aware of their own limitations in understanding the effects of climate change and recognise the need to fill mutual gaps through a collaborative production of knowledge. By integrating complementary forms of knowledge, this approach may help overcome the limitations of vulnerability assessments based exclusively on scientific expertise, and support the development of climate policies that are scientifically sound and socially accepted. • A holistic assessment of climate vulnerability of black pearl aquaculture social-ecological system • Co-definition of adaptation strategies by scientific/institutional actors and local communities of French Polynesia • A list of scientifically robust and locally relevant vulnerability criteria potentially transferable to other Pacific pearl-producing countries • Interviewees consistently identify climate change as a factor that amplifies existing weaknesses in the pearl farming sector • COVID-19 exposed the sector’s dependence on global markets, while also demonstrating community resilience and attachment to their business and the place