Ecomechanical Interactions in Marine Mussel Systems
Summary
Marine mussels employ a suite of biomechanical strategies to attach to and persist on dynamic shorelines. Central to these strategies is the secretion of byssal threads, proteinaceous filaments that mediate adhesion to substrates under the combined actions of waves, currents and tidal immersion. Ecomechanics in this context explores how environmental drivers such as temperature fluctuations, acidification, hypoxia and nutrient availability influence the manufacture, material properties and failure risk of these attachment structures. Recent advances have revealed that elevated temperature often poses a greater threat to byssal integrity and overall mussel tenacity than acidification alone, while interactions among multiple stressors can further compromise attachment strength. At the same time, environmental heterogeneity—from wave energy to food supply—shapes energy allocation between byssogenesis, growth and reproduction, with cascading effects on population resilience and coastal habitat engineering. Understanding these interactions not only illuminates fundamental ecological and physiological trade-offs but also informs the management of mussel aquaculture and the conservation of intertidal ecosystems under a changing climate.
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Ecomechanical Interactions in Marine Mussel Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in ecomechanical interactions in marine mussel systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ecomechanics: The interdisciplinary study of how ecological forces and mechanical properties interact to shape organismal performance and habitat dynamics.
Byssus: A bundle of proteinaceous threads secreted by mussels to attach firmly to hard substrates.
Proximal region: The segment of a byssal thread nearest the mussel foot, influencing overall tensile strength.
Adhesive plaque: The terminal portion of a byssal thread that anchors the filament to the substrate surface.
References
- Only as strong as the weakest link: structural analysis of the combined effects of elevated temperature and pCO2 on mussel attachment. Conservation Physiology (2019).
- The impacts of climate change on the biomechanics of animals. Conservation Physiology (2020).
- Starvation shrinks the mussel foot secretory glands and impairs the byssal attachment. Frontiers in Marine Science (2022).
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