Blue mussels in natural and artificial habitats: ecological, genetic and managerial consequences of interactions among subpopulations

Blue mussels, Mytilus spp., are important components of benthic communities in sedimentary and rocky habitats as well as artificial habitats along the Swedish coastlines.

Despite the wide-spread distribution, well-known ecological significance and importance for aquaculture, integrated knowledge about status and interactions among different components of the mussel population is largely missing.

This is particularly unfortunate considering the fact that preliminary results suggest that populations of farmed mussels and mussels on artificial habitats may be larger than those in natural habitats.

This is also in a region where it is suggested that natural mussel beds are declining.Using a comprehensive approach, which addresses all important types of habitat for the mussel-population, we will quantify the size and distribution of adult populations in natural, sedimentary and rocky habitats as well as in artificial habitats and mussel-farms.

We will also model dispersal and estimate larval supply, recruitment and survival in different habitats and regions in order to test hypotheses about ecological and genetic impacts of mussel-farms.This approach will provide new insights of importance for science based management of the Swedish mussel population in a range of contexts.

These include conservation of natural habitats, management of artificial structures related to recreational boating and sustainable development of marine aquaculture.