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Spatial variation of trace metals within intertidal beds of native mussels (Mytilus edulis) and non-native Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas): implications for the food web?

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Abstract

Pollution is of increasing concern within coastal regions and the prevalence of invasive species is also rising. Yet the impact of invasive species on the distribution and potential trophic transfer of metals has rarely been examined. Within European intertidal areas, the non-native Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is becoming established, forming reefs and displacing beds of the native blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). The main hypothesis tested is that the spatial pattern of metal accumulation within intertidal habitats will change should the abundance and distribution of C. gigas continue to increase. A comparative analysis of trace metal content (cadmium, lead, copper and zinc) in both species was carried out at four shores in south-east England. Metal concentrations in bivalve and sediment samples were determined after acid digestion by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Although results showed variation in the quantities of zinc, copper and lead (mg m−2) in the two bivalve species, differences in shell thickness are also likely to influence the feeding behaviour of predators and intake of metals. The availability and potential for trophic transfer of metals within the coastal food web, should Pacific oysters transform intertidal habitats, is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Karen Walmsley, the Environment Agency, Willie McKnight from the North East Kent Advisory Group, Tony Child of the Thanet Coast Project and Chris Moody for producing the map figure. We are also grateful to the reviewers for their helpful and constructive comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Faculty of Science & Technology, Centre for Conservation Ecology and Environmental Science, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK

    D. J. Bray, I. Green, D. Golicher & R. J. H. Herbert

  2. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

    D. Golicher

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Bray, D.J., Green, I., Golicher, D. et al. Spatial variation of trace metals within intertidal beds of native mussels (Mytilus edulis) and non-native Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas): implications for the food web?. Hydrobiologia 757, 235–249 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2255-8

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