Description: The blue mussel genus Mytilus is a popular food source and an important model organism for many scientific disciplines [1,2]. The morphologically similar species M. edulis (Me) and M. trossulus (Mt) form an unprecedented and unique hybridisation pattern in the Baltic Sea [3, 4]. Recently, it was shown that metabolite profiling of Mytilus species provides significant potential for biomonitoring of aquatic environments but also for informing natural product research [1,2]. However, the metabolome of Mytilus sp. is still little investigated and no metabolome data from the Baltic Sea blue mussels are available so far. In order to compare the metabolite profiles of Baltic Mytilus sp. at an individual level, 30 Mytilus specimens were sampled at a blue mussel farm in Kiel (Baltic Sea) and genotyped with two commonly utilized nuclear markers, EFbis and Glu-5' [4]. Genotypic assessment revealed a dominance of Mt alleles at Kiel Fjord with 90% of the samples being intermediate (Me/Mt) or Mt-like hybrids. Secondary metabolites of the whole tissue extracts (EtOAc) were explored by HPLC-DAD-MS. Metabolite profiles were found to be similar but not identical, differing mainly in minor nonpolar secondary metabolites. Considering that secondary metabolites are often produced by associated microbes and not by the macroorganism itself, the microbiome of the mussel specimens was also investigated. A culture-based approach yielded 259 bacterial and fungal strains, including Actinomycetes. Bacteria belonging to the orders Alteromonadales and Pseudomonadales (Acinetobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Pseudoalteromonas sp., Psychrobacter sp., Shewanella sp.) dominated the microbial community (57%). In addition, an RFLP based culture-independent approach was developed for Mytilus sp. individuals. Both the culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches showed inter-individual differences with respect to the associated microbes, but no genotypic dependence.

Description: Mineral exploitation has spread from land to shallow coastal waters and is now planned for the offshore, deep seabed. Large seafloor areas are being approved for exploration for seafloor mineral deposits, creating an urgent need for regional environmental management plans. Networks of areas where mining and mining impacts are prohibited are key elements of these plans. We adapt marine reserve design principles to the distinctive biophysical environment of mid-ocean ridges, offer a framework for design and evaluation of these networks to support conservation of benthic ecosystems on mid-ocean ridges, and introduce projected climate-induced changes in the deep sea to the evaluation of reserve design. We enumerate a suite of metrics to measure network performance against conservation targets and network design criteria promulgated by the Convention on Biological Diversity. We apply these metrics to network scenarios on the northern and equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where contractors are exploring for seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits. A latitudinally distributed network of areas performs well at (i) capturing ecologically important areas and 30 to 50% of the spreading ridge areas, (ii) replicating representative areas, (iii) maintaining along-ridge population connectivity, and (iv) protecting areas potentially less affected by climate-related changes. Critically, the network design is adaptive, allowing for refinement based on new knowledge and the location of mining sites, provided that design principles and conservation targets are maintained. This framework can be applied along the global mid-ocean ridge system as a precautionary measure to protect biodiversity and ecosystem function from impacts of SMS mining.