Carrington, E. 2002. Seasonal variation in the attachment strength of blue mussels: Causes and consequences. Limnology and Oceanography 47:1723-1733.
Mussels (Mytilus) are a dominant part of rocky intertidal communities. Animals that inhabit this intertidal zone are subject to physical stresses that change with the seasons. How do mussels adapt to the seasonality of their hydrodynamic environment?
Mussels occupy the mid-intertidal zone where they live attached to rocks by means of byssal threads. They are exposed to extreme temperatures, wave forces and desiccation. Mussels must be able to withstand these harsh and variable conditions.
Carrington collected fifty Mytilus edulis from Rhode Island on a monthly basis. She measured their tenacity and estimated the number of byssal threads present by drilling a small hole through the shell. She found mussels both increased their attachment strength and produced more byssal threads during the winter than in the summer -- a response to their exposure to stronger wave forces during this time of year. However, this response is not precise; byssal threads were weaker during the major hurricane season. Carrington suggests that tenacity decreases in the summer because more energy is allocated to reproduction.
Carrington concludes that mussel tenacity generally follows a seasonal cycle that tracks that of hydrodynamic forces. Mussels are capable of altering their byssal threads during times when they are exposed to strong drag forces. This response allows mussels to adapt to changing environmental conditions and therefore increases their chances of survival in a variable environment.
(226 words)
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