The sublethal effects of sulphide on Arctica islandica and Mytilus edulis
The aims of this thesis were to examine the effects of sulphide on two species of bivalve, Arctica islandica and Mytilus edulis. All the experiments were designed to maintain aerobic conditions throughout, in an attempt to separate the effects of sulphide from those of hypoxia. Initially the LT50 va...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
2002
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| Online Access: | http://theses.gla.ac.uk/72314/ https://theses.gla.ac.uk/72314/1/10646131.pdf https://eleanor.lib.gla.ac.uk/record=b2070421 |
| Summary: | The aims of this thesis were to examine the effects of sulphide on two species of bivalve, Arctica islandica and Mytilus edulis. All the experiments were designed to maintain aerobic conditions throughout, in an attempt to separate the effects of sulphide from those of hypoxia. Initially the LT50 values for both A. islandica and M. edulis were established (Chapter 2). It was apparent from the results of the LT50 experiments that the A. islandica from a sulphide-rich habitat had longer survival times than those from a low-sulphide habitat. There was also a significant difference in the average shell height of the A. islandica from both areas, with the mean height of the A. islandica from the low- sulphide area being almost double the size of those from the sulphide-rich area. A. islandica were very resistant to sulphide, with an LT50 of 6 - 8 weeks, depending on the concentration of the sulphide, whereas M. edulis had an LT50 of only 1 - 3 weeks. However, both A. islandica and M. edulis were found to undergo an increase in body condition upon exposure to sublethal concentrations of sulphide for extended periods (Chapter 2). Further analysis of the LT50 survivors showed that the condition index (shell meat volume to inner shell volume ratio) increased consistently with sulphide exposure in both A. islandica and M. edulis. These results may indicate that the bivalves are able to utilise the reducing potential of sulphide as an energy source. Experiments were carried out to examine the effect of sulphide on the ventilation rate of M. edulis (Chapter 3). During sulphide exposure, M. edulis remained open and continued to ventilate at all the sulphide concentrations tested. This appeared to indicate that this bivalve was unable to detect sulphide at concentrations between 0 muM and 1200 muM. Furthermore, the results suggested that M. edulis was maintaining aerobic respiration in the presence of sulphide. Experiments were designed to examine the physiological response of isolated hearts from M. edulis to sulphide ... |
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