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

Abstract

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.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Biofouling
• stress response
• mussel farming
• aquaculture
• Ascidians

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Correction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Available after a reasonable request from the corresponding author

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2023.2213553)

Additional information

Funding

The present work is a part of the project ‘Development of the best control practices of invasive ascidians in mussel farming infrastructures and remediation of economic effects of invasion’ (Code MIS: 5048463) funded by the EU-Greece Operational Program of Fisheries, EPAL 2014–2020.