How Mussels and Clams Handle Heat

The Challenge

Climate change is making our oceans hotter. This is bad news for bivalve mollusks like mussels and clams. They are struggling to cope with these new conditions.

The Study

Scientists wanted to see how these creatures manage their energy when temperatures rise.

• Species Studied:
• Mediterranean mussel

• Grooved carpet shell clam

• Method:
• Exposed to higher temperatures for 25 days
• Monitored genes and enzymes reactions

Findings

Initial Response

At first, the bivalves didn't react much to small temperature increases.

Adaptation Strategies

As things got hotter, they started using different ways to make energy:

• Anaerobic Processes: A less efficient but survival-oriented method of making energy without oxygen.

Species-Specific Responses

• Clams:

• Relied more on breaking down fats.

• Mussels:
• Focused on glycolysis (turning sugar into energy).
• When temperatures peaked, they cut back on aerobic metabolism.
• Increased their anaerobic capacity instead.

Conclusion

This study shows that bivalves have some tricks to handle heat. But these tricks might not be enough in the long run. Future research could use advanced methods to learn more. This could help us understand how these creatures will fare as the planet warms up.