Targeted qPCR and non-targeted amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes within sediment layers identified the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) niche and characterized microbial community changes attributable to freshwater mussels. Anammox bacteria were normally distributed (Shapiro-Wilk normality test, W-statistic =0.954, p = 0.773) between 1 and 15 cm depth and were increased by a factor of...

The spread of zebra mussels into new bodies of water is of great concern in the United States due to their economic and ecological costs. Some government agencies suggest the use of vinegar as a decontamination option but do not provide data to explain this decision. This study examined the toxicity of distilled white vinegar on adult zebra mussels at varying concentrations and exposure times. ...

Metallothionein (MT) is a sulfhydryl-rich protein involved mainly in heavy metal homeostasis and detoxification. In this study, the use of the mussel as an experimental model allowed us to test MT antioxidant properties at the molecular, cellular, and organism level. MT induction was achieved by mussel exposure to Cd (200 μg/l) in aquaria for 7 days followed by detoxification in the sea for 28 ...

Lysosomal responses in the digestive cells of Mytilus eduljs from 9 sites in Puget Sound, Washington. USA, with varying degrees of sediment contamination were measured using automatic image analysis. Mussels from urban-associated sltes (areas with elevated sediment concentration of anthropogenic contaminants such as PAHs, PCBs. DDTs, and toxic elements) showed pathological changes in the lysoso...

TheNorth ForkHolstonRiver (NFHR) historically supported 33 unionidmussel species downstream of Saltville, VA. Because of industrial contamination over decades from a chlor-alkali plant, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Site (SITE) was created with Hg andMeHg designated as contaminants of concern.Mussel surveys were conducted at 18NFHR locations to determine abundance, species ri...

Domoic acid (DA) accumulation was studied in Mytilus galloprovincialis collected from rafts in Ría de Vigo, Spain, during short-term lab experiments. Mussels were fed Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries cultures (1900, 3800, 6000 cells/ml) and P. multiseries blooming in a phosphorus limited mesocosm. Toxin concentration in mussel whole tissue was proportional to toxin offered in food except for the lo...

Anthropogenic environmental changes can serve as drivers for evolutionary responses in wild populations. To predict the long-term impact of anthropogenic changes on populations, it is crucial to understand the genetic effects caused by these disturbances. The Baltic Sea is considered to be one of the world’s most contaminated seas, and the increase of anthropogenic chemical pollution is a major...

Intertidal mussel species often provide a secondary substrate for competitively inferior species, while excluding them from the primary substrate. To evaluate the net effect, we conducted field experiments that specifically focused on interactions between mussels Septifer virgatus (Miegmann) and algae species. Mussels affected the abundance of 7 algal species differentially, with effects being ...

We experimentally manipulated mussel community structure and observed mussel burrowing behavior in mesocosms held in a greenhouse. Vertical positions, vertical movements, and horizontal movements of Actinonaias ligamentina, Amblema plicata, Fusconaia flava, and Obliquaria reflexa were recorded during five 11-d trials. Community structure was manipulated by constructing communities with 11 diffe...