Freshwater mussel (Superfamily Unionoidea) communities are important components of food webs, and they link and influence multiple trophic levels. Mussels filter food from both the water column and sediment with ciliated gills. Differences in cilia structure and arrangement might allow mussel species to partition food resources. Mussels are omnivores that feed across trophic levels on bacteria,...

1. Studies of North American streams have shown that hydraulic parameters and stream geomorphology can explain unionid mussel abundance at both the reach and catchment scale. However, few studies have examined applicability of hydrogeomorphic variables across broader spatial scales, such as across whole catchments, or have elucidated conditions under which spates can affect mussel populations i...

Aggregations of the Ponto-Caspian invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) constitute a suitable habitat for macroinvertebrates, considerably increasing their abundance and providing effective antipredator protection. Thus, the overall effect of a mussel bed on particular predator species may vary from positive to negative, depending on both prey density increase and predator ability to pre...

Mussel adhesive proteins have received increased attention as potential biomedical and environmentally friendly underwater adhesives thanks to their fascinating properties, including strong and flexible adhesion, adhesion to various material substrates, water displacement, that they are harmless to human body, and controlled biodegradability. Several mussel adhesive proteins have been identifie...

OBJECTIVE Iatrogenic preterm premature rupture of membranes (iPPROM), the main complication of invasive interventions in the prenatal period, seriously limits the benefit of diagnostic or surgical prenatal procedures. This study aimed to evaluate preventive plugging of punctured fetal membranes in an ex vivo situation using a new mussel-mimetic tissue adhesive (mussel glue) to inhibit leakage. ...

Droughts often pose situations where stream water levels are lowest while human demand for water is highest. Here we present results of an observational study documenting changes in freshwater mussel communities in two southern US rivers during a multi-year drought. During a 13-year period water releases into the Kiamichi River from an impoundment were halted during droughts, while minimum rele...

PURPOSE: Field studies were conducted in 2000 to determine the effects of pulse-power electric field systems on zebra mussel planktonic life stages. In the past, the older settlement stage was the target stage and a high control rate was the goal. In the 2000 studies, it was necessary only to have a consistent effect on immature mussels in the 20to 60-percent range for them to be of value as a ...

Abstract Background It is known that aquaculture may produce negative environmental effects on marine ecosystems. Southern Chile one of the most important salmon and mussel-producing areas in world. Here we assess ecological status benthic communities near farming centers Caucahue Channel, Chiloe, which has been used intensely for mussel production 30 years. Methods The macrofauna, sediments wa...

At the Galician coast, mussels are cultured on vertical ropes attached to floating rafts, which are cleaned in situ with tars or waterproof paints. The present study analyses the com position and the toxic risk of several compounds used during maintenance, in order to improve mussel-farming practices. The toxic risk was determined in relation to that of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) by calculating the c...

BAILLIE, P., TURNER, E. & QUILTY, P.G., 1985 (31:vii): Late Pleistocene marine sediments and fossils from Mussel Roe Bay, northeastern Tasmania. Pap. Proc.R.Soc. Tasm. 119:83-87. ISSN 0080-4703. Geological Survey of Tasmania, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and Antarctic Division, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Foraminiferaand mollusc-bearing estuarine sediments were encountered in one of a seri...