Article
Food Science & Technology
A. Petersen, K. S. Jensen, J. J. Sloth, L. Duedahl-Olesen
Summary: Bivalve molluscs have been used as indicator organisms for environmental pollution. This study analysed the levels of chemical contaminants in mussels and oysters intended for human consumption in Danish waters from 2005 to 2019. The results showed differences in Pb concentrations between mussels and oysters, and the PCA and PRNN analyses successfully categorised the samples and determined their origins. All concentrations in mussels and oysters were below the current EU maximum levels for contaminants.
Article
Engineering, Marine
Matthew N. George, Michael J. O'Donnell, Michael Concodello, Emily Carrington
Summary: The study found that although ocean acidification does not prevent adult bivalves from repairing their shells, it may elicit stress responses that impose energetic constraints on their physiology.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Loreen Knoebel, Jennifer C. Nascimento-Schulze, Trystan Sanders, Dominique Zeus, Claas Hiebenthal, Francisco R. Barboza, Heiko Stuckas, Frank Melzner
Summary: Baltic blue mussels are able to colonize habitats with low salinity and show gene flow between different populations at varying salinities. Larvae from different populations exhibit better performance at their native salinities, indicating local adaptation. Low salinity also acts as a selective pressure shaping genetic composition and potentially impacting ecosystem structure in the Baltic Sea.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jeroen Hubert, Emily Booms, Rob Witbaard, Hans Slabbekoorn
Summary: Bivalves respond to sound by partially closing their valves and gradually reduce responsiveness over sequential exposures. However, it remains unclear whether this response is due to habituation or other sensory adaptations. Initial response and recovery time do not differ between mussels exposed to single pulses and pulse trains.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Efflam Guillou, Thibault Androuin, Nicolas Toupoint, Rejean Tremblay
Summary: This study found that despite transferring spat from a specific lagoon to other local mussel sites, the mussel stock maintained higher survival, growth, and commercial performance over the last 25 years at a microgeographic scale. The study also demonstrated the existence of thermal selective pressure on juvenile mussels, with enhanced growth performance in surviving individuals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Camilla Lienart, Andrius Garbaras, Susanne Qvarfordt, Anton Oberg Sysoev, Helena Hoglander, Jakob Walve, Ellen Schagerstrom, Johan Eklof, Agnes M. L. Karlson
Summary: This study investigates the impact of ocean climate change on the Baltic Sea blue mussel population over 24 years using stable isotopes, revealing changing trophic relationships as a key factor in affecting body condition and total biomass of the mussels.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jia-Nan Chen, Xu-Hui Huang, Jie Zheng, Yi-Han Sun, Xiu-Ping Dong, Da-Yong Zhou, Bei-Wei Zhu, Lei Qin
Summary: The study found that the levels of FAAs, 5'-nucleotides, and lipids in blue mussels vary significantly with seasons, with blue mussels in summer being more delicious and nutritious. Seasonal variations in triacylglycerols were the most evident, and different genders of blue mussels have different distributions of lipid types.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Maxime Sansoucy, Rejean Tremblay, Emily Carrington, Isabelle Marcotte, Lekha Sleno
Summary: The study analyzed proteins in different tissues of mussels, helping to identify biologically important proteins expressed in the foot and enhance understanding of the byssus proteome. The data contributes to a more complete description of the proteomes of M. edulis and M. californianus, given the minimal proteomics data available for these species.
Article
Fisheries
Georgina Bramwell, Aaron G. Schultz, Thomas Madsen, Frederic Thomas, Nick Macdonald, Antoine M. Dujon, Craig D. H. Sherman, Beata Ujvari
Summary: This study investigated the phylogenetic relationship and genetic variation of farmed blue mussels along the south coast of Australia. The results showed genetic differences between different locations and genes, which could be valuable for the aquaculture industry.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Helena Voet, Karline Soetaert, Tom Moens, Samuel Bode, Pascal Boeckx, Carl Van Colen, Jan Vanaverbeke
Summary: Blue mussels in the North Sea are abundant and economically important species that can influence marine ecosystems through their filter feeding and shell biofilm. Their numbers are expected to increase due to the proliferation of offshore wind farms and planned co-location strategies with mussel mariculture. This study examines the link between blue mussels, their microbial shell biofilm, and local nitrogen cycling, finding that nitrous oxide production is mainly driven by nitrifier denitrification. Future-climate experiments reveal that warming, acidification, or their combination affects the mussel's N2O production, but the net effect on local N2O production is relatively small.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Jacob J. Capelle, Eva Hartog, Lisanne van den Bogaart, Henrice M. Jansen, Jeroen W. M. Wijsman
Summary: Transplantation of bivalves to environments with different seston concentrations can lead to changes in the gill-to-palp ratio, affecting the filtering efficiency and growth conditions of the shellfish. However, the physiological plasticity of mussels allows them to adapt quickly to new feeding conditions, suggesting that observed lower yields may be more related to survival factors than feeding adaptations.
Article
Fisheries
Heloise Gendre, Yosra Ben Cheikh, Frank Le Foll, Alain Geffard, Melissa Palos Ladeiro
Summary: This study compared the sensitivity of cellular immunomarkers to chemical stressors combined with bacterial challenge in two mussel species from different environments. The results showed that the two mussel species had different basal levels and responded differently to chemical exposure and bacterial challenge. This work highlights the species-specific sensitivity of mussel immunomarkers to contaminants and the necessity of considering the presence of non-pathogenic microorganisms in future in situ applications.
FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacob J. Capelle, Eva Hartog, Tony Wilkes, Tjeerd J. Bouma
Summary: The balance and strength of facilitative versus competitive interactions can be affected by aggregation into groups. This study investigated how seasonal variation in abiotic environment affects this balance for blue mussels. Results showed that the strength and direction of intra-specific interactions were strongly influenced by environmental context, with positive interactions between density and survival in the most benign conditions and negative interactions in the most adverse conditions.
Article
Microbiology
Irene Cano, Abigail Parker, Georgia M. Ward, Matthew Green, Stuart Ross, John Bignell, Caroline Daumich, Rose Kerr, Stephen W. Feist, Frederico M. Batista
Summary: A decline in the population of wild blue mussels in the Tamar estuary (United Kingdom) has been observed over the past decade. Archived samples from 2013 to 2019 revealed the presence of large granulocytoma and haemocytic infiltration in the digestive gland tissue, ranging from 7% to 18% of the samples. Nanopore sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in four selected samples showed high nucleotide similarities with published sequences of Francisella halioticida. In situ hybridisation confirmed the presence of F. halioticida DNA in granulocytes and prokaryotic-like inclusion bodies within the digestive epithelial cells. Further diagnostic tests and genome sequencing of the infecting isolates will provide more insights into the pathogenicity and spread of this pathogen.
Article
Fisheries
Efflam Guillou, Carole Cyr, Nicolas Toupoint, Rejean Tremblay
Summary: Bivalve aquaculture in nearshore sites has expanded worldwide. Mussel farming productivity is commonly assumed to depend on survival and growth performance, which can be highly variable among spat stocks originating from different sites, even at a microgeographical scale. Offshore conditions clearly enhanced overall growth performance independently of stock origin, as shown by the higher condition indexes, higher energy lipids (triacylglycerol), and generally higher glycogen content in mussels at the end of the production cycle. The observed survival (+23%) and growth (+27%) trends support the hypothesis that offshore cultivation represents a valuable strategy for mussel aquaculture development.
AQUACULTURE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Andres Mesas, Erika Cuellar-Soto, Karina Romero, Trinidad Zegers, Valeria Varas, Benito A. Gonzalez, Warren E. Johnson, Juan C. Marin
Summary: The guanaco population in the Bolivian Chaco is threatened by hunting and habitat degradation, and only 74 individuals were identified in the most recent census. The population shows moderate genetic diversity, but the estimated effective population size is low and indicates a continuing loss of allelic variation. Gene flow between Bolivian and Paraguayan guanaco Chaco populations should be assessed and integrated into conservation management plans.
STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Pablo Teta, Pablo Jayat, Pablo E. Ortiz, Guillermo D'Elia
Summary: This study fills the knowledge gap of genetic information, morphological description, and natural history for the elusive species Microcavia shiptoni.
Article
Ecology
Cheng Wenda, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Jaiber J. Solano-Iguaran, Akihiro Nakamura, Bartosz M. Majcher, Louise A. Ashton
Summary: Assessing the heat tolerance (CTmax) of organisms is crucial for understanding the impact of climate change on biodiversity. This study investigated how environment, evolutionary history, and their interactions influence species interactions in tropical rainforests under climate change. Findings showed that phylogeny played a significant role in determining heat tolerance in herbivore-parasitoid communities. The study also highlighted the vulnerability of parasitoids and herbivore control in tropical rainforests, particularly in the canopy.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Xin Dang, Qi Huang, Yuan-Qiu He, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Tong Zhang, Vengatesen Thiyagarajan
Summary: Ocean acidification can have significant effects on the phenotypic characteristics of marine organisms, both in terms of intrinsic traits and by disrupting their associated microbiomes. This study investigates the extent to which the interaction between these phenotypic changes can influence resilience to acidification, using edible oysters as a model. The researchers find that different oyster species show species-specific responses to acidification, with the coastal species exhibiting higher stress and decreased survival compared to the estuarine species. The study highlights the importance of genetic background and local adaptation in determining the response to acidification and provides insights into host-microbiota-environment interactions in future coastal acidification.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah A. Breedon, Anchal Varma, Julian F. Quintero-Galvis, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Carlos Mejias, Roberto F. Nespolo, Kenneth B. Storey
Summary: The marsupial Monito del monte uses torpor to save energy and survive in cold and unpredictable environments. A study found that 14 microRNAs in the heart of Monito del monte showed significant differential expression during torpor. These differentially expressed microRNAs are predicted to regulate pathways related to cardiac function and tissue protection during torpor.
Article
Limnology
Jane C. Y. Wong, John A. Raven, Montserrat Aldunate, Sebastian Silva, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Cristian A. Vargas, Osvaldo Ulloa, Peter von Dassow
Summary: Phytoplankton play a crucial role in marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems, but their response to deoxygenation is not well-studied. A review of available information on phytoplankton in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) reveals that surface phytoplankton disappear and are replaced by unique cyanobacteria lineages below the oxycline. Several factors, including top-down grazing, respiratory demand, and irradiance, cannot fully explain this vertical structure, suggesting a potential dependence on O2-dependent pathways.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pamela A. Fernandez, Barbara Labbe, Juan D. Gaitan-Espitia, Catriona L. Hurd, Ellie R. Paine, Anusuya Willis, Craig Sanderson, Alejandro H. Buschmann
Summary: The distribution and productivity of seaweeds are influenced by changes in temperature and inorganic nitrogen availability. The effect of the nitrate: ammonium ratio on physiological traits and gametophyte development of Macrocystis was investigated, showing that NH4+ led to negative NO3- uptake rates and reduced growth rates. Different developmental stages and physiological traits may have varying thermal tolerance windows.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Marcial Quiroga-Carmona, Jay F. Storz, Guillermo D'Elia
Summary: We discovered a mummified mouse specimen of the Punomys genus at an elevation of 5,461 m in the caldera of Volcan Acamarachi, Region de Antofagasta, Chile, which is a significant extension of the elevational and latitudinal range for this species. It is also the first record of Punomys genus in Chile. The morphological assessment suggests that the specimen belongs to the P. lemminus species. This finding extends the known geographic distribution of the genus by 700 km to the south and adds to the mammal richness in Chile.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Alessia Carini, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Vengatesen Thiyagarajan
Summary: Microscopic biominerals play a crucial role in biomineralization in the ocean. The extracellular proteome secreted by organisms enhances the mineral properties. This research introduces a simple method for preparing microscopic biominerals while maintaining proteome completeness. Experimental results using Hong Kong oyster larval shells show that longer treatments and partial biomineral damage can increase protein diversity.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. M. Donelson, J. D. Gaitan-Espitia, A. J. Hobday, K. Mokany, S. C. Andrew, S. Boulter, C. N. Cook, F. Dickson, N. A. Macgregor, N. J. Mitchell, M. Pickup, R. J. Fox
Summary: In this Perspective, the authors emphasize the importance of considering phenotypic plasticity in conservation actions and propose a framework and road map for incorporating plasticity into management. They also highlight the challenges in implementing plasticity in conservation and present a common language and framework for connecting plasticity to management actions.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Juan Carlos Narvaez-Barandica, Julian F. Quintero-Galvis, Juan Carlos Aguirre-Pabon, Lyda R. Castro, Ricardo Betancur, Arturo Acero Pizarro
Summary: This study evaluated the comparative phylogeography of marine species with different dispersal potentials across the southern Caribbean Sea, using two putative barriers: the Magdalena River plume (MRP) and the combination of absence of a rocky bottom and permanent upwelling in the La Guajira Peninsula (ARB + PUG). Samples of each species were collected from five locations, showing evidence of phylogeographic breaks caused by the MRP and ARB + PUG barriers. Three populations were identified for A. rivasi and C. pica, while N. tessellata presented one population. A. rivasi and C. pica fit the hierarchical population model and shared a similar phylogeographic history. The results demonstrate the influence of biological traits and biogeographic barriers on the phylogeographic structure of these species.
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Da Huo, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, John I. Spicer, Hongsheng Yang
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Steve Widdicombe, Kirsten Isensee, Yuri Artioli, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Claudine Hauri, Janet A. Newton, Mark Wells, Sam Dupont
Summary: Approximately one-quarter of CO2 emitted by human activities is absorbed by the ocean annually, causing a reduction in seawater pH and changes in carbonate chemistry. While substantial progress has been made in observing the physicochemical changes, understanding the biological consequences of ocean acidification remains challenging.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Milica Stankovic, Amrit Kumar Mishra, Yusmiana P. Rahayu, Jonathan Lefcheck, Daniel Murdiyarso, Daniel A. Friess, Marko Corkalo, Teodora Vukovic, Mathew A. Vanderklift, Syed Hilal Farooq, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Anchana Prathep
Summary: Coastal blue carbon ecosystems in South and Southeast Asia have the potential to mitigate climate change, but current research lacks data, exhibits high variability, and shows spatial bias. Future research should address these challenges before implementing these ecosystems into national climate strategies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
