Comparative chlorine and temperature tolerance of the oyster Crassostrea madrasensis: implications for cooling system fouling

The impact of ascidian biofouling on the farmed Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis physiology and welfare, revealed by stress biomarkers

In biofouling communities, ascidians are among the most damaging species, presenting severe threats, such as depressed growth rates and decreased chances of lower survival, to shellfish aquaculture. However, little is known concerning the fouled shellfish physiology. In an effort to obtain information for the magnitude of stress caused by ascidians to farmed Mytilus galloprovincialis, five seasonal samplings took place in a mussel aquaculture farm suffering from ascidian biofoulants, in Vistonicos Bay, Greece. The dominant ascidian species were recorded and several stress biomarkers, including Hsp gene expression at both mRNA and protein levels, as well as MAPKs levels, and enzymatic activities of intermediate metabolism were examined. Almost all investigated biomarkers revealed elevated stress levels in fouled mussels compared to non-fouled. This enhanced physiological stress seems to be season-independent and can be attributed to the oxidative stress and/or feed deprivation caused by ascidian biofouling, thus illuminating the biological impact of this phenomenon.

Optimisation of biocide dose as a function of residual biocide in a heat exchanger pilot plant effluent

Biofouling is one of the most serious problems facing numerous industrial processes. In the case of a heat exchanger unit, biological deposits adhering to the inside surface of its tubes reduce heat transfer and, thus, the thermal performance of the cycle. Control of this phenomenon is proving fundamental for both land and marine equipment to operate in optimum working conditions. Hence, it is necessary to apply antifouling methods capable of keeping surfaces free of any kind of biofouling. This paper reports on the behaviour resulting from use of the flow inversion method vs that obtained by using various chemical treatments. The study compares the effectiveness of certain chemical treatments (Na hypochlorite, peracetic acid and a compound formed by Na bromide + Na hypochlorite) for removing a biofouling film that has already formed on the inside surfaces of tubes in a heat exchanger pilot plant. The paper also addresses the issue of optimising the concentration of biocide dose as a function of the residual biocide in order minimise the environmental impact caused by effluent from industrial plants. The results indicate that it is possible to eliminate a biofilm formed on the inside surfaces of tubes by the use of intermittent doses of chemical treatments at low concentrations and over long application times. Furthermore, once the stabilisation phase is reached 6 d after starting the treatment, it is possible to maintain the conditions achieved using only 20% of the initial dosage.

Thermal tolerance of the invasive oyster Crassostrea gigas: feasibility of heat treatment as an antifouling option

Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas are traditionally considered shellfish of great fishery and aquaculture value. For these reasons they are introduced worldwide. Recently there has been increasing reports about the prevalence of C. gigas as biofouling organism in cooling water systems. In the absence of relevant data on the susceptibility of oysters to commonly employed antifouling techniques such as heat treatment, it was presumed that oysters would be controlled by treatment programmes directed against other major fouling organisms. The present study was carried out to test the above hypothesis, and results showed that C. gigas has an upper temperature tolerance that is much higher than other major marine fouling animals including blue mussel Mytilus edulis. Apparently, temperature regimes presently used in heat treatment of cooling water systems fouled by mussels need to be increased, if C. gigas are to be controlled effectively. Our results also indicate that previous exposure of C. gigas to sublethal high temperatures could make them more resistant to subsequent thermal treatment, an aspect that should be taken into account when heat treatment is used as a fouling control option against oyster fouling.

Upper temperature tolerances of exotic brackish-water mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad): an experimental study

The dark false mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata is an important mussel colonising the brackish-water systems of temperate and subtropical regions. Of late it has earned notoriety as a biofouling species in industrial cooling water systems. However, there are no published data on the temperature tolerance of this species. This paper presents data on the upper temperature tolerance of this mussel from the view point of biofouling control using thermal methods. In addition to mortality, response of physiological activities such as oxygen consumption, filtration rate, foot activity and byssus thread production were also studied at temperatures varying from 5 to 35 degrees C. Experiments were also carried out to understand the effect of mussel size, breeding condition, nutritional status and acclimation conditions (temperature and salinity) on the mortality pattern. The physiological activities were significantly reduced at temperatures beyond 27.5 degrees C and ceased at 35 degrees C. In 20 mm size group mussels exposed to 37 degrees C, 50% mortality was observed after 85 min and 100% mortality after 113 min. The effect of mussel size on mortality at different temperatures was significant, with the larger size group mussels showing greater resistance. M. leucophaeata collected during the non-breeding season (December-April) were more tolerant to temperature than those collected during the breeding season (June-October). Nutritional status of the mussel had no significant influence on the thermal tolerance of the mussel: fed and starved (non-fed) mussels succumbed to temperature at comparable rates. The effect of acclimation temperature and acclimation salinity on M. leucophaeata mortality at different temperatures was significant. Survival time increased with increasing acclimation temperature and decreased with increasing salinity. In comparison with other co-occurring species such as Mytilus edulis and Dreissena polymorpha, M. leucophaeata appears to be more tolerant to high temperature stress.

Factors influencing the upper temperature tolerances of three mussel species in a brackish water canal: size, season and laboratory protocols

Mussels are the most problematic organisms encountered in the water intake systems of electrical power plants. Various fouling control measures are adopted, among which heat treatment is considered the relatively more attractive from economic and ecological points of view. Thermal tolerance experiments were carried out to determine the effects of mussel size (2-20 mm shell length), season (breeding vs non-breeding), nutritional status (fed vs non-fed), acclimation temperature (5-25 degrees C) and acclimation salinity (1-35%o) on the mortality pattern of three important mussel species, viz. a freshwater mussel Dreissena polymorpha, a brackish water mussel Mytilopsis leucophaeata and a marine mussel Mytilus edulis under different temperatures (36-41 degrees C). The mussels in the 10 mm size group exposed to 36 degrees C showed 100% mortality after 38 min (D. polymorpha), 84 min (M. edulis) and 213 min (M. leucophaeata). The effect of mussel size on M. edulis and M. leucophaeata mortality at different temperatures was significant, with the largest size group of mussels showing greater resistance, while no significant size-dependence was observed in the case of D. polymorpha. All the three mussel species collected during the non-breeding season (June-October). Nutritional status had no significant influence on the thermal tolerance of the three mussels; fed and non-fed mussels showed 100% mortality at comparable rates. Acclimation temperature had a significant effect on the mortality of all three species. Survival time at any given target temperature increased with increasing acclimation temperature. The acclimation salinity showed no significant effect on the thermal tolerance of the three mussel species. In comparison, M. leucophaeata was more tolerant to high temperature stress than the other two species. The present studies clearly show that various factors can influence the mortality of D. polymorpha, M. edulis and M. leucophaeata to elevated temperatures. The results, therefore, suggest that if heat treatment were to be used as a control measure for these mussels, it has to be employed judiciously, depending on the mussel species, mussel size, breeding season, water temperature and salinity.