Researchers in CCMAR demonstrate that new effects of very simple individual behaviour lead to amelioration of abiotic conditions at the aggregation level and that these effects increase mussel resistance to thermal stress by decreasing their mortality rates.
Publicado a
Researchers in CCMAR demonstrate that new effects of very simple individual behaviour lead to amelioration of abiotic conditions at the aggregation level and that these effects increase mussel resistance to thermal stress by decreasing their mortality rates.
Although made up of individual members, an aggregation of animals often displays novel effects that do not manifest at the level of the individual organism. CCMAR researchers show that very simple behaviour in intertidal mussels shows new effects in dense aggregations but not in isolated individuals. When aerially exposed, some intertidal mussel species intake oxygen by opening and closing the valves but, by doing so, water is spat out. This indirect effect has no apparent function when a mussel is isolated but, when in aggregation, it assumes new function: it lowers body temperatures and increases humidity in the patch.
This research lead to a paper publication, which can be consulted at this link.