Highlights
- 1.Predator cues can significantly induce byssal secretion in Mytilus coruscus.
- 2.Ocean acidification inhibits the anti-predatory responses of Mytilus coruscus.
- 3.Microplastics exerts sublethal effects on the byssus of Mytilus coruscus.
- 4.The presence of predators amplifies the mild disturbances caused by ocean acidification and microplastics.
- 5.The combined stress shows a synergistic inhibitory trend on the anti-predatory capability of Mytilus coruscus.
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) and microplastics (MPs) pollution are major abiotic stressors in coastal ecosystems. Byssus is the core structural trait for Mytilus coruscus to defend against predators, and it is vulnerable to environmental stress, which in turn impairs its anti-predator function. However, the anti-predator response characteristics of M. coruscus byssus and the interaction mechanisms among OA, MPs and predation pressure from Charybdis japonica remain unclear under their combined stress. The study conducted acute exposure experiments, measuring five key byssus indicators: secretion frequency, quantity, diameter, volume and tensile strength, to explore the variation characteristics of the byssus-based anti-predator function of M. coruscus under multi-stressor conditions. Results showed that predators served as a key biological signal to trigger the anti-predator responses and significantly promoted byssus secretion; OA had the most prominent inhibitory effect on byssus function; MPs exposure only induced sublethal disturbances with no significant effects on core anti-predator indicators. Furthermore, the combined stress of ocean acidification and microplastics exhibited a synergistic trend, impairing the byssus-centered anti-predatory defense capacity of M. coruscus. This study provides experimental evidence for analyzing the variation patterns of mussel byssus under multiple stressors and suggests that future marine ecological risk assessments should focus on the interactions between biotic and abiotic stressors to more accurately predict the dynamic changes of coastal ecosystems.
Cai J., Liu Y., Wang M., Wang L., Gao P., Lv L., Jiang M., Sui Y. & Li L., 2026. Anti-predatory responses of Mytilus coruscus to the combined effects of ocean acidification and microplastics. Environmental Technology & Innovation 42: 104958. doi: 10.1016/j.eti.2026.104958. Article.
0 Responses to “Anti-predatory responses of Mytilus coruscus to the combined effects of ocean acidification and microplastics”