Ocean acidification is altering the oceanic carbonate saturation state and threatening the survival of marine calcifying organisms. Production of their calcium carbonate exoskeletons is dependent not only on the environmental seawater carbonate chemistry but also the ability to produce biominerals through proteins. We present shell growth and structural responses by the economically important m...

Hydrodynamic performance of the marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, is studied with time-resolved particle image velocimetry. We evaluated inhalant flow, exhalant jet flow, suction performance and flow control capabilities of the mussels quantitatively. Inhalant flow structures of mussels are measured at the coronal plane for the first time in literature. Nutrient fluid is convected into ...

This is the first study to compare defenses to predation in closely related species of Mytilus and draws attention to the role of predation in determining their distribution, abundance and co-existence. We experimentally determined whether 2 blue mussel species, Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus, that co-exist within a hybrid zone in Newfoundland, Canada, differ in their predator-induced response...

Freshwater mussels are ecologically and economically important members of many aquatic ecosystems, but are globally among the most imperiled taxa. Propagation techniques for mussels have been developed and used to boost declining and restore extirpated populations. Here we use a cohort of propagated mussels to estimate the intrinsic variability in size and growth rate of Lampsilis siliquoidea (...

To date, the natural substratum preferences of early benthic phase (EBP) European lobsters (Homarus gammarus) remain largely unknown. This study utilised a large scale mesocosm experiment to determine if the animal favours cobble ground, similar to its American counterpart (Homarus americanus), or has other substratum preferences. Postlarvae were provided with the choice of settling on four nat...

The exhalant jet flow of mussels in conjunction with currents and/or other mussels may strongly influence the mussels’ grazing impact. Literature values of mussel exhalant jet velocity vary considerably and the detailed fluid mechanics of the near-mussel flow generated by the exhalant jet has hitherto been uncertain. Computational modelling of this phenomenon depends on knowledge of the velocit...

Seawater pH and the availability of carbonate ions are decreasing due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, posing challenges for calcifying marine species. Marine mussels are of particular concern given their role as foundation species worldwide. Here, we document shell growth and calcification patterns in Mytilus californianus, the California mussel, over millennial and decadal scales. B...

The rising anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 results in the reduction of seawater pH, namely ocean acidification (OA). In East China Sea, the largest coastal hypoxic zone was observed in the world. This region is also strongly impacted by ocean acidification as receiving much nutrient from Changjiang and Qiantangjiang, and organisms can experience great short-term natural variability of DO and pH i...

The bivalve aquaculture industry has become an important socio-economic component of many coastal communities throughout the world and marine molluscs presently account for 60% of global marine aquaculture production[1]. Largely cultivated on the east of Canada (over 20,000 tons per year), the mussel industry represents an annual market of around $30 million[2]. Wild seed collection remains a c...

The triangle sail mussel, Hyriopsis cumingii, is the most important freshwater pearl mussel in China. However, the mechanisms underlying its chitin-mediated shell and nacre formation remain largely unknown. Here, we characterized a chitin synthase (CS) gene (HcCS1) in H. cumingii, and analyzed its possible physiological function. The complete ORF sequence of HcCS1 contained 6903 bp, encoding a ...