Mussel periostracum protects against shell dissolution.

ABSTRACT: Reductions to seawater pH challenge the shell integrity of marine calcifiers. Many molluscs have an external organic layer (the periostracum) that limits exposure of underlying shell to the outside environment, which could potentially help combat shell dissolution under corrosive seawater conditions. We tested this hypothesis in adult California mussels, Mytilus californianus. We quantified shell dissolution rates as a function of periostracum cover across three levels of reduced pH (7.7, 7.5, and 7.4 on the total scale). Since periostracum can also be eroded over time, we additionally conducted a first-pass examination of whether differing surface textures induced by abrasional processes might influence dissolution rates. We contextualized this set of experiments with measurements of muss

SUBMITTER: Saley AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12266434 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature