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Occurrence of pearls in mussels (Mytilus spp.) from the Norwegian coast
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This study investigated pearl formation in mussels from the Norwegian coast, finding surprisingly high numbers of pearls in some individuals and a north-south gradient in occurrence. While primarily about mussel biology, the research contributes to understanding mussel health and their use as sentinel species for marine pollution monitoring.
Mussels (Mytilus spp.) from the Norwegian coast produce pearls, up to as many >360 pearls per individual, and it seems to be a southern-northern gradient with more pearls in mussels from the south than from the north. Out of the 280 mussels studied, nearly 2000 pearls were found, and the mussels producing pearls were all >4 cm. Size and condition index did correlate with the pearl frequency, while microplastics did not. Mussel health is important to study as they are important actors in the coastal ecosystem, as bioindicators for environmental monitoring, as a food source as well as the recent reports on changes in their distribution across the Norwegian coast.
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Mytilus spp. as sentinels for monitoring microplastic pollution in Norwegian coastal waters: A qualitative and quantitative study
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Researchers collected mussels from 15 sites along Norway's coastline and found microplastics at nearly every location, with remote Arctic sites containing surprisingly high levels — often more than sites near major cities. The study confirms that mussels are useful sentinels for monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal waters, with fibers making up 83% of all particles found.
Microplastics in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) : does mussel size and distribution affect the number of microplastic particles found in the mussels?
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Researchers collected 213 blue mussels from three sites in the Oslo fjord to investigate whether mussel body size affects the number of microplastic particles found in their tissues. They found microplastics in mussels across size classes, with differences in particle counts between sites and size groups. The study contributes to understanding how mussel size and sampling location affect microplastic bioaccumulation in this commonly used sentinel species.
A systematic review on the prevalence and concentration of MPs in mussels
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This systematic review examines how common microplastics are in mussels, a popular seafood. Since mussels filter large volumes of water, they tend to accumulate microplastics, which means people who eat them may be exposed to these particles through their diet.
En undersokning om forekomsten av mikroplast i vastsvenska blamusslor (Mytilus edulis).
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This Swedish study examined the occurrence of microplastics in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from the West Swedish coast, contributing to data on microplastic contamination in edible shellfish from the North Sea region. The findings are relevant to assessing human dietary exposure to microplastics through seafood consumption.
Mussels as Samplers of Regional Microplastic Contamination Trends
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This study examined microplastic contamination in the tissues of Mytilus mussels from multiple coastal regions to assess how well mussels serve as bioindicators of environmental plastic pollution. Results helped clarify which environmental and physiological factors most influence microplastic uptake in these filter-feeding animals.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.