One single mussle can clean nine liters of water in one hour. Transforming nitrogene and phosphorus to protein in their bodies and store it, for themselves and for food. New populations has grown dramatically last year along the west coast, but why did they first decline and where do they choose to live? The mussel reefs have been vanishing along the westcoasts along the Northeast Pacific and are now classified as threatened according to EUs red list of habitat loss. 50 percent of the reef are gone. The warmer climate and the acidification, parasites and algae blooms could be the answer. But last years settlements, are they here to stay and do they have a new strategy to survive?

Clinging onto life by simply avoiding the ocean floor can be the reason to the many new estblishishment of mussel colonies. Crawling predators such as crabs and starfish can not swim and reach the colonies hanging from boats, ropes and buoys. At Tjärnö Marine Laboratory the marine biologist York Greve is trying to figure out if they are one of the reasons to the vanishing mussel reefs. Along a 30 metres long line of marine studies he is investigating how new mussel larvae can establish without contact from the crawling predators. In small cages in the shallow waters on the ocean floor, with only a fine net to allow larvaes to pass, he is doing his research. No crabs can enter and the mussles can establish new ground. He himself becomes a cleaner looking after the cages with a brush, removing algea’s from the fine masked nets.

The whole story with text by Anna Froster can be read in Forskning&Framsteg no 3 /2025,

The whole article with text by Anna Froster can be read in Forskning&Framsteg no 3 / 2025