Gaping behaviour of Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in relation to freshwater runoff risks

Abstract

Shellfish grown for food are vulnerable to environmental contamination, potentially rendering them unsafe for human consumption. Non-invasive gape (valve openness) sensing allows in-situ monitoring of bivalve shellfish behaviours, such as feeding, that can result in exposure to contaminated waters. Sensors were attached to Blue mussels and deployed for 10 days on natural mussel beds in Dundrum Bay, Northern Ireland. Data showed a tidally synchronous behaviour pattern of high openness at high water and vice versa. It is likely that this is, at least in part, due to extreme salinity variation (1.8–33.6) resulting from near total water exchange with each tide in the bay. This behaviour is likely to infer a degree of protection from contaminants during periods of low water, a time at which runoff-derived pollutants are most concentrated.