Cheering News for Depressed Mussels
One of Britain's rarest animals could soon be enjoying a revival in the country's waterways, thanks to researchers at the University of Cambridge. Depressed River Mussel populations have suffered a 30 per cent drop in the last 100 years through pollution and modern dredging techniques, and the species has been made a conservation priority by the... view more... (2001-06-19)
Virginia Tech fisheries department releases cultivated mussels at Nature Conservancy site
Virginia Tech's Freshwater Mussel Conservation Center and Virginia's Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center in Marion, Va., released several thousand mussels that have been propagated into the Clinch River. view more (2005-06-21)
Alternative states in the ocean
Ecologists expect natural communities to vary. Occasionally, however, such variation can be severely abrupt and lead to formation of alternative and potentially persistent states. In the July issue of Ecology Letters, Paine and Trimble describe a dramatic assemblage shift on a rocky intertidal shore in Washington State (USA). The change was... view more... (2004-05-13)
Zebra mussels hang on while quagga mussels take over
The zebra mussels that have wreaked ecological havoc on the Great Lakes are harder to find these days - not because they are dying off, but because they are being replaced by a cousin, the quagga mussel. But zebra mussels still dominate in fast-moving streams and rivers. view more (2009-06-12)
The Prestige oil spill caused changes in the cell structure of mussels
The oil spill from the Prestige petroleum oil tanker in 2002 caused serious damage to the ecosystems in the Bay of Biscay. A PhD thesis at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has studied the consequences of this spill for the mussels inhabiting this northern coast of the Iberian peninsula. view more (2009-03-25)
Higher stress leads to longer life
Eating less may make you healthier: even more reason to start that diet tomorrow. Scientists at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory have found that eating less helps marine animals cope with pollution and other stressful situations, and may even let them live longer. Professor Michael Moore found that triggering a cellular process known as autophagy in... view more... (2004-03-26)
Round Goby invade Great Lakes
Canadian scientists uncover alarming invasion of round goby into Great Lakes tributaries: impact on endangered fishes likely to be serious. view more (2009-08-12)
The invasive green mussel may inspire new forms of wet adhesion
The green mussel is known for being a notoriously invasive fouling species, but scientists have just discovered that it also has a very powerful form of adhesion in its foot, according to a recent article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. view more (2009-08-28)
Success for fishy scientist
Scallops, oysters and mussels - the best of fare Scotland`s kitchens have resulted in a top Parisian award for a researcher from the University of Dundee. Matthew Gubbins is not a chef but a scientific expert on toxicity in shellfish. Matthew (26) has scooped the Daniel Jouvance award for his work on how shellfish become toxic and then lose their... view more... (2002-07-18)
The petroleum umbrella
Several companies are extracting black gold - petroleum - from the North Sea. But scientists are questioning this activity and asking if this activity has environmental consequences. By law, these companies are obliged to carry out annual analyses. view more (2005-04-04)
Mussels evolve quickly to defend against invasive crabs
Scientists at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) have found that invasive crab species may precipitate evolutionary change in blue mussels in as little as 15 years. view more (2006-08-11)
Cause of mussel poisoning identified
The origin of the neurotoxin azaspiracid has finally been identified after a search for more than a decade. view more (2009-03-25)
Prehistoric Decline of Freshwater Mussels Tied to Rise in Maize Cultivation
USDA Forest Service (FS) research suggests that a decline in the abundance of freshwater mussels about 1000 years ago may have been caused by the large-scale cultivation of maize by Native Americans. view more (2005-06-08)
New map outlines risk of zebra mussel invasion
The spread of two invasive alien freshwater mussel species - the zebra mussel and the quagga mussel - appears to be controlled in part by calcium levels in streams and lakes and a new risk assessment based on water chemistry suggests the Great Plains and American Southwest could be next in line for invasion. view more (2007-12-04)
Prozac exposure found to disrupt mussel reproduction
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and North Carolina State University (NCSW) have demonstrated that a commonly prescribed antidepressant can interfere with the reproductive cycle of freshwater mussels-at least in a controlled setting. view more (2006-09-18)
Brainy genes, not brawn, key to success on mussel beach
It's hard being a mussel: you have to worry about hungry starfish and even hungrier humans, not to mention an environment that can change your body temperature 50 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few hours. view more (2008-10-10)
Annual Tahoe Report Says Asian Clam Invasion Is Growing Fast
Released today, UC Davis' annual Lake Tahoe health report describes a spreading Asian clam population that could put sharp shells and rotting algae on the spectacular mountain lake's popular beaches, possibly aid an invasion of quagga and zebra mussels, and even affect lake clarity and ecology. view more (2009-08-19)
A receipe for success
Mix chocolate with some cheddar cheese; add some zebra mussels and throw in a dose of heat and what you'll get is a fresh look at what 21st century chemical engineering all about. This was the theme of a lecture held on 8th March 2004 at the University of Birmingham's chemical engineering department. The lecture's main speaker, Dr Geoff Moggridge... view more... (2004-03-08)
Sticky mussels inspire biomedical engineer yet again
Mussels are delicious when cooked in a white wine broth, but they also have two other well-known qualities before they're put in a pot: they stick to virtually all inorganic and organic surfaces, and they stick with amazing tenacity. view more (2007-10-19)
Tropical crab invades Georgia oyster reefs -- but the long-term impact can't be predicted
A dime-sized tropical crab that has invaded coastal waters in the Southeast United States is having both positive and negative effects on oyster reefs, leaving researchers unable to predict what the creature's long-term impact will be. view more (2007-09-05)
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