Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: Shell dissolution rates differ fourfold between mussel species

Carlson, Rachel12; Lewis, Esme Mazie2; Ninokawa, Aaron3; Saley, Alisha2; Hill, Tessa2; Gaylord, Brian2

Research facility: UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab
Published Jul 10, 2025 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6hdr7srck

Data files

Jul 10, 2025 version files 17.82 KB

Abstract

Marine mussels display differential habitat preferences, with species like Mytilus californianus favoring fully saline environments and Mytilus trossulus inhabiting sites with greater freshwater input. Determining abiotic dissolution rates of these species under ocean acidification is essential for predicting future consequences of climate change for coastal populations. We examined shell dissolution rates of these congeners under a range of pH (6.5-9.3) and aragonite saturation states (0.1-9.0). We additionally quantified experimentally the relative importance of dissolution from interior versus exterior shell surfaces. M. trossulus exhibited 4x higher shell dissolution rates than M. californianus. When the shell interior was sealed against seawater exposure, dissolution rates decreased significantly in both species, indicating high abiotic dissolution on the shell interior. Results demonstrate that dissolution rates can vary between congeners inhabiting the same biogeographic region. Our finding that freshwater-tolerant M. trossulus has higher abiotic dissolution under ocean acidification is important because low salinity may further retard calcification, altering future intertidal population structure along freshwater-influenced coastlines.