Publication Date:
2019-07-16
Description:
Using a comprehensive approach, intertidal, near- and offshore sites in the German Bight were analysed
for their environmental quality by assessing the health of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). During a ten
month sampling period mussels were studied with a set of biomarkers comprising lysosomal membrane
stability and accumulation of lipofuscin, supplemented by biomarkers indicating nutritional status such
as neutral lipids and glycogen in the cells of the digestive gland. Data were analysed in relation to sex,
gonadal status, condition index and for the presence of parasites, to determine the overall health status
of mussels at the respective sites. Mussels from all sites showed clear signs of stress, indicating an
inferior environmental quality throughout the southern German Bight. Further, habitat characteristics
such as inundation time and growing on- or off-bottom, as well as seasonal factors, can clearly influence
the response of biomarkers in mussels exposed to similar levels of chemical environmental stress.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
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isiRev
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