Small-scale fisheries are essential to coastal communities, yet they face increasing challenges from interrelated social-ecological changes like climate change, declining fish stocks, erratic weather, and rising competition from industrial fleets. These factors create economic and social instability, threatening the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. While many studies explore climate impacts on fisheries globally, little is known about how small-scale shrimpers in Brownsville and Port Isabel, Texas experience and respond to these changes. This research applies the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework to understand how shrimpers perceive and adapt to environmental and social challenges within a dynamic coastal setting. Using qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and focus groups, this study examines the ways that shrimpers’ lived experiences, local knowledge, and community relationships shape adaptation strategies and adaptive capacity. Results identify barriers that limit their adaptive capacity and highlight the role of culture and community in shaping perceptions of climate change in an understudied fishing community in the Gulf of Mexico. By documenting shrimpers’ voices and knowledge, this research contributes to more inclusive adaptation policies and improves representation of small-scale fishers in environmental decision-making.