Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E21
Höfundar / Authors: Melanie Stock (1,2,3), Fabian Löhr (1,4,5), Linda Hemmetzberger (1,6,7), Javier Duarte (1,8), Dario Dirks (1,8,9), Luka Gruse (1,6,11), Itsuki Ariizumi (1,7), Jannis Hümmling (1,3,10), Karen Graça (1,11), Lim Song Xin (1,12), Sofia von Nandelstadh (1,13), Carmen Mroz (1,4,13), Mark Lenz (1)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: (1) GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, (2) University of Tübingen, (3) Háskólasetur Vestfjarða, (4) University of Rostock, (5) Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas – CSIC, (6) University of Hamburg, (7) Hokkaido University, (8) Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC), (9) Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, (10) Kiel University, (11) Ocean Science Centre Mindelo, [...]
Kynnir / Presenter: Melanie Stock
Artificial light at night (ALAN) has become an increasingly pervasive phenomenon in recent years with known effects on marine life such as corals and turtles. Our experiments were part of a global research series on light pollution addressing different components of the ecosystem. We focused on marine bivalves and covered seven global locations ranging from the equator to the sub-arctic. A manipulative laboratory experiment exposing mussels to ALAN assessing the effects of the altered photoperiod on physiological and behavioural parameters was carried out. ALAN effects on byssus production and strength are described here. Byssus production significantly decreased in Chile, marginally decreased in Spain but showed a marginal increase in Japan in groups exposed to intermediate ALAN. Byssus strength decreased in mussels from Spain, Iceland, and Malaysia while it increased for Chile. Reduced byssus production and strength for nocturnal bivalves can arise from reduced feeding due to the lack of darkness which results in reduced energy uptake and thus, impaired byssus formation. However, no clear pattern of effect of ALAN on mytilids could be identified in this study. In systems where ALAN does cause reduced mussel activity and impaired byssus production and strength, mussels could show increased dislodgement due to wave activity or by predators threatening mussel beds in coastal systems.