Bowmer, C.T., M. van der Meer, and M.C. Th. Scholten, 1991. A Histopathological Analysis of Wild and Transplanted Dreissena polymorpha From the Dutch Sector of the River Maas, TNO Laboratory for Applied Marine Research

A Histopathological Analysis of Wild and Transplanted Dreissena polymorpha From the Dutch Sector of the River Maas

1. The histopathology of zebra mussel populations (Dreissena polymorpha) which were transplanted and exposed in baskets in the Dutch sector of the River Maas (5 locations) were compared with indigenous wild mussels at the same locations and at a clean reference site in the Ijsselmeer.
2. All groups were sectioned histologically and examined to quantify cytological damage and pathology of a wide range of tissues, as well as to examine parasitology and to assess their reproductive state.
3. Results show a significant reduction in general cytological quality and an increase in observed pathological conditions in the wild populations at the 3 downstream stations.
4. The transplanted (active biomonitoring) groups of mussels clearly showed a similar trend in condition after only 42 days exposure at these sites.
5. The influence of an industrial spillage of Cd in the Maas during the exposures is examined against this background of locally varying "health".

Entire Paper
Contact: C.T. Bowmer, TNO Laboratory for Applied Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
Keywords: Zebra_mussel, Bio-accumulation, Basic_biology
Product Type: Research, Basic_biology
User Type: General