We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Anti-predatory responses of Mytilus coruscus to the combined effects of ocean acidification and microplastics
Summary
Mussels use sticky protein threads (called byssus) to anchor themselves and defend against predators, but this study found that ocean acidification, driven by rising CO2 levels, weakens this defense system, while microplastic pollution alone doesn't do much damage. The real concern is that when acidification and microplastics combine, they team up to make mussels more vulnerable to predators, which could disrupt coastal food webs and shellfish populations that many communities rely on for food. This matters for human health because it's a warning sign that pollution and climate stressors can interact in unexpected ways, potentially threatening the seafood supply chain we depend
Ocean acidification (OA) and microplastics (MPs) pollution are major abiotic stressors in coastal ecosystems. Byssus is the core structural trait for Mytilus coruscus to defend against predators, and it is vulnerable to environmental stress, which in turn impairs its anti-predator function. However, the anti-predator response characteristics of M. coruscus byssus and the interaction mechanisms among OA, MPs and predation pressure from Charybdis japonica remain unclear under their combined stress. The study conducted acute exposure experiments, measuring five key byssus indicators: secretion frequency, quantity, diameter, volume and tensile strength, to explore the variation characteristics of the byssus-based anti-predator function of M. coruscus under multi-stressor conditions. Results showed that predators served as a key biological signal to trigger the anti-predator responses and significantly promoted byssus secretion; OA had the most prominent inhibitory effect on byssus function; MPs exposure only induced sublethal disturbances with no significant effects on core anti-predator indicators. Furthermore, the combined stress of ocean acidification and microplastics exhibited a synergistic trend, impairing the byssus-centered anti-predatory defense capacity of M. coruscus . This study provides experimental evidence for analyzing the variation patterns of mussel byssus under multiple stressors and suggests that future marine ecological risk assessments should focus on the interactions between biotic and abiotic stressors to more accurately predict the dynamic changes of coastal ecosystems.