Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) gonad index data from mussel collections in coastal eastern Maine between 2014 and 2016 (MuLTI-2 project)

Website: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/658752
Data Type: Other Field Results
Version: 1
Version Date: 2017-11-30

Project
» An integrated theoretical and empirical approach to across-shelf mixing and connectivity of mussel populations (MuLTI-2)
ContributorsAffiliationRole
Yund, Philip O.Downeast Institute for Applied Marine Research and Education (DEI)Principal Investigator, Contact
York, Amber D.Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)BCO-DMO Data Manager

Abstract
Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) gonad index data from mussel collections in coastal eastern Maine between 2014 and 2016.


Coverage

Spatial Extent: N:44.825311 E:-66.986325 S:44.4644175 W:-68.3045225
Temporal Extent: 2014-04-24 - 2016-08-06

Dataset Description

Data quantifying temporal patterns in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) gonad index in large mussel beds in coastal eastern Maine.

Collections occurred in coastal waters of eastern Maine, from Frenchman Bay to the Canadian border between 24 Apr 2014 and 08 Aug 2016.

Related datasets:


Methods & Sampling

15-25 individual blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were randomly sampled at each of the major mussel beds (stations) along the eastern Maine coast from Frenchman Bay to the Canadian border. Sampling reflected the existing size frequency distribution of mussels within each bed, but was truncated at a minimum shell length of 25 mm to ensure mussels were of reproductive size. For each individual mussel, sample processing consisted of measuring the shell length (0.1 mm resolution), and then dissecting out the gonad and somatic soft tissue separately. Gonad and somatic soft tissues were weighed separately to 0.01 g resolution. The gonad index of each individual mussel was calculated from the two measured weights (Gonad Soft Tissue Weight, Somatic Soft Tissue Weight).

Data Processing Description

 

BCO-DMO Data Manager Processing Notes:
* added a conventional header with dataset name, PI name, version date
* modified parameter names to conform with BCO-DMO naming conventions


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Data Files

File
GI.csv
(Comma Separated Values (.csv), 387.84 KB)
MD5:0f1fc4306508d2505830e42026bb1a1b
Primary data file for dataset ID 658752

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Parameters

ParameterDescriptionUnits
Sampling_EventIdentifier of sampling event unitless
Station_CodeStation code unitless
Sample_DateDate sample was taken unitless
YearYear of sample unitless
LatitudeLatitude decimal degrees
LongitudeLongitude; west is negative decimal degrees
Shell_LengthShell length measurement (0.1 mm resolution) millimeters (mm)
Gonad_WeightGonad soft tissue weight grams
Somatic_WeightSomatic soft tissue weight grams
GIGonad index; Proportion of soft tissue weight attributable to gonad soft tissue: GI = gonad_weight/(somatic_weight + gonad_weight) dimensionless

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Deployments

MuLTI-2_Mussel_Sampling

Website
Platform
Maine_Coast
Start Date
2014-04-24
Description
These locations were sampled using The Uglement, an automobile.  Mussel Gonad Index (GI), size frequency, settlement, and density were surveyed.


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Project Information

An integrated theoretical and empirical approach to across-shelf mixing and connectivity of mussel populations (MuLTI-2)

Coverage: Gulf of Maine: Frenchmen Bay (44 28.239 N -68 15.927 W) to Machais Bay (44 39.350 N -67 21.320 W)


Acronym "MuLTI-2" (Mussel Larval Transport Initiative-2)

Extracted from the NSF award abstract:

Existing larval transport models focus mainly on along-shelf transport and have done little to explicitly incorporate the effects of cross-shelf mixing and transport processes. Yet cross-shelf transits (both outgoing and incoming legs) are critical components of the dispersal paths of coastal invertebrates. This project will explore the role of cross-shelf mixing in the connectivity of blue mussel populations in eastern Maine. Previous work has shown that the Eastern Maine Coastal Current (EMCC) begins to diverge from shore southwest of the Grand Manan Channel and creates a gradient in cross-shelf mixing and larval transport, with cross-shelf mixing being more common on the northeastern end, episodic in the transitional middle area, and then becoming rare in the southwestern half of the region of the Gulf of Maine. As a result, the investigators predict that northeastern populations of mussels are seeded mostly from up-stream sources, while a significant component of self-seeding (local retention) exists in southwestern populations. Larvae settling in the intervening bays are expected to be derived from a mixture of local and up-stream sources. Using a combined empirical and theoretical approach hydrographic, current profile, and larval vertical migration data will be collected and used to develop and validate a high-resolution coastal circulation model coupled to a model of larval behavior. The investigators will model simulations in different years using the empirical data from mussel reproductive output and spawning times. Connectivity predicted from this model will be then tested against independent empirical estimates of connectivity based on trace element fingerprinting for larvae which can be connected to specific natal habitats. Regions of agreement and discrepancy in the model will be identified to guide additional data collection and model refinement. This iterative process will ensure an understanding of both larval transport patterns and processes, and provide estimates of inter-annual variability in connectivity for blue mussel populations in the Gulf of Maine.



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Funding

Funding SourceAward
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE)

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