Comparison of the Physiological Condition of the Blue Mussel, 'Mytilus edulis', After Laboratory and Field Exposure to a Dredged Material

摘要

The scope for growth (SFG) of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, was measured after exposure to Black Rock Harbor (BRH) dredged material in the laboratory and the field. A laboratory system was used to provide constant exposure levels, ranging from 0 to 10 mg/L, of suspended BRH sediment. Results indicated that concentrations as low as 1.5 mg/L BRH material reduced SFG, clearance rates, and shell growth. In the field, mussels were placed along a transect from the center of the disposal mound to a clean area that was distant from the disposal mound. The estimated maximum BRH exposure in the field (0.8 mg/L) produced no apparent reduction in the SFG of mussels collected 1 m above the bottom at the field sites. The level of BRH material estimated to affect SFG in field-exposed mussels (>0.8 mg/L) was within the range estimated from laboratory experiments (0-1.5 mg/L).