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Responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis in a Multi-Stressor Scenario: Effects of an Invasive Seaweed Exudate and Microplastic Pollution under Ocean Warming
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Researchers exposed mussels to a combination of invasive seaweed exudate, polyethylene microplastics, and elevated temperatures to study their combined effects. The study found that simultaneous exposure to all three stressors greatly reduced byssal thread production and depleted antioxidant defenses in gill tissue, suggesting that multiple environmental stressors can amplify harmful effects on marine organisms.
Microplastic pollution, global warming, and invasive species are known threats to marine biota, but the impact of their simultaneous exposure is still not well understood. This study investigated whether the toxic effects posed by the invasive red seaweed Asparagopsis armata exudate (2%) to the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis are amplified by a 96 h exposure to increased temperature (24 °C) and polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs, 1 mg/L). Biochemical (neurotoxicity, energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and damage) and physiological (byssal thread production) responses were evaluated. The number of produced byssus greatly decreased under concomitant exposure to all stressors. The antioxidant defences were depleted in the gills of mussels exposed to temperature rises and PE-MPs, regardless of exudate exposure, preventing oxidative damage. Moreover, the heat shock protein content tended to decrease in all treatments relative to the control. The increased total glutathione in the mussels' digestive gland exposed to 24 °C, exudate, and PE-MPs avoided oxidative damage. Neurotoxicity was observed in the same treatment. In contrast, the energy metabolism remained unaltered. In conclusion, depending on the endpoint, simultaneous exposure to A. armata exudate, PE-MPs, and warming does not necessarily mean an amplification of their single effects. Studies focusing on the impact of multiple stressors are imperative to better understand the underlying mechanisms of this chronic exposure.
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The combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and temperature stress on Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lamarck, 1819
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Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and rising water temperatures on Mediterranean mussels. The study found that microplastic exposure amplified temperature-related stress, leading to increased mortality, greater oxidative damage, and more severe tissue changes, suggesting that these two environmental stressors interact to worsen harm to marine organisms.
Co-Exposure with an Invasive Seaweed Exudate Increases Toxicity of Polyamide Microplastics in the Marine Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were co-exposed to polyamide microplastics and exudate from an invasive seaweed, with results showing that the seaweed chemical compounds increased microplastic toxicity beyond that seen from plastics alone. The study highlights that invasive species can amplify the ecological harm of microplastic pollution through chemical interactions.
Combined effects of polyamide microplastics and the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus on the immune parameters of Mytilus coruscus
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When mussels were exposed to nylon microplastics along with harmful Vibrio bacteria, they suffered gill damage, increased oxidative stress, and weakened immune defenses compared to either stressor alone. The combined exposure suppressed key immune enzymes that mussels need to fight infection. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, this study raises concerns that microplastic-contaminated shellfish could carry more pathogens and be less safe to eat.
The multiple responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis in the multi-stressor scenario: Impacts of low pH, low dissolved oxygen, and microplastics
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to the combined stressors of low pH, low dissolved oxygen, and microplastics for 15 days. While whole-organism functions like respiration were unaffected, the study found significant cellular-level impacts, suggesting that microplastics interact with ocean acidification and deoxygenation to cause subtle but measurable stress in marine invertebrates.
Microplastics can aggravate the impact of ocean acidification on the health of mussels: Insights from physiological performance, immunity and byssus properties
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Researchers found that the combination of ocean acidification and microplastic exposure weakened mussel immune systems, reduced feeding performance, and degraded the quality of byssus threads used for attachment. The study suggests that co-occurring ocean acidification and microplastic pollution could increase the vulnerability of bivalves to disease and dislodgement, threatening their survival in future marine environments.
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