Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Monitoring water quality to identify potential stressors for marine life is a key aspect of current ocean management plans, and it is becoming even more relevant in the context of climate change. Bivalves, particularly mussels, have been commonly used in monitoring programs around the world due to their capacity to respond to and accumulate pollutants. In this regard, two of the responses of bivalves that can be monitored are the movement of the valves and the heartbeat. Both responses inform about stressful situations for bivalves such as low oxygen, high temperatures, and the presence of harmful algal blooms. The requested custom-made equipment will provide simultaneous data on both valve movement and heartbeat from bivalves located in the wild, indicating the response of bivalves to changes in water quality. The non-invasive sensors, which are glued to the valves, and the fully underwater characteristics will allow, for the first time, the collection of this type of data on the ocean floor, the natural environment of bivalves. Furthermore, this equipment has the capability to send data in real-time to “the cloud”, so it could be used to make early-warning management decisions related to water quality. For example, the onset of an algal bloom or the presence of chemicals in the water could be detected in real-time. The novel information that will be collected is also invaluable to increase our understanding of bivalves under natural conditions. This increased knowledge could be applied to the shellfish aquaculture industry, which usually relies on information from laboratory experiments. Besides its ideal capabilities to be used in the field, the equipment can also be used under laboratory settings. The NSERC-supported Aquatron Seawater Laboratory at Dalhousie University, the largest university aquatic research facility in Canada, is the ideal complement to the equipment given that it will allow the validation of field observations under controlled conditions. Use of the equipment by students will promote a broad skill set, including knowledge on bivalves, ecology, and chemistry, but also mathematical and computational skills due to the high volume of data that will be generated. The students will interact with shellfish farmers, ocean managers, and researchers in different disciplines such as computer scientists and oceanographers, providing them with valuable communication skills and a broad understanding of the needs of various stakeholders. In summary, this equipment is the first in the world with these characteristics, and it will bring Canada to the forefront of bivalve research.