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Ocean acidification and nanoplastics disrupt mussel calcification in synergy: A multi-omics analysis
Summary
Mussels exposed to more acidic seawater (from ocean acidification) and tiny plastic particles struggled to repair their shells properly, growing thinner, weaker shells with less calcium, and the problem got worse when both stressors combined. This matters because mussels and other shellfish are a major food source worldwide, and as oceans absorb more CO2 and plastic pollution while these tiny particles work their way into seafood, this research suggests the combination could hurt the quality and availability of the shellfish we eat.
Ocean acidification (OA) and nanoplastics (NPs) increasingly co-occur in coastal ecosystems, yet their combined mechanistic impacts on calcifying invertebrates remain poorly resolved. Here, the mussel Mytilus coruscus was exposed for 30 days to factorial combinations of OA (pH 7.7 vs 8.1), surface-modified polystyrene NPs at a concentration of 100 μg/L (positively and negatively charged), and experimental shell damage to assess effects on shell repair, ion homeostasis, and energy metabolism. OA reduced shell repair quality by thinning repair layers, increasing porosity, and lowering calcium content, effects that were further enhanced by co-exposure to NPs, particularly negatively charged particles. OA and NPs jointly altered Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ levels, alkaline phosphatase activity, Ca 2+ Mg 2+ -ATPase activity, and key indicators of energy metabolism, including ATP content and cellular energy allocation. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed enrichment of ion transport, extracellular matrix, TGF- β signaling and other pathways, with divergent patterns linked to NPs surface charge. Together, these results suggest that nanoplastic surface charge under OA may impair mussel shell repair through associated alterations in ion homeostasis and energy metabolism. These findings highlight that particle surface properties shape how organisms respond to combined environmental stressors in acidifying marine environments.