How tidal position affects growth banding in shells from Bodega Bay, California

Nyrobi Whitifeld, Oberlin College

Location

Science Center: Bent Corridor

Document Type

Poster

Start Date

4-26-2024 12:00 PM

End Date

4-26-2024 2:00 PM

Abstract

Marine bivalves have the unique ability to record environmental and oceanic conditions due to the shell calcification process that takes place throughout their entire lives. Through this process, growth bands form within the shells and vary in thickness, periodicity, and coloration. Dark bands typically correspond with nonideal conditions during growth, such as cold temperatures, low tide, and low food availability, causing anaerobic metabolism. Light banding, on the other hand, correlates with ideal growing conditions such as warm temperatures, high tides, and high food availability, allowing for aerobic metabolism. Using this understanding, this research project investigates how tidal position (low, mid, and high) affects the coloration of growth bands in mussel shells from Bodega Bay, California. To study this inquiry, banding patterns in the California mussel (Mytilus californianus) were analyzed and photographed using an optical microscope. With ImageJ software, these images were converted into grayscale, and gray values were calculated for each specimen. Gray value variance quantifies the proportion of light versus dark banding within the shells, with high gray value variance representing a stronger growth banding expression. With the information provided by this experiment, past decadal information on Bodega Bay's environmental and tidal conditions can be extrapolated to provide insight into how it differs from today as well as what it may look like in the future. As climate change continues to alter aquatic habitats, this information may be crucial to helping scientists do what they can to support bivalves and other intertidal specimens.

Keywords:

Intertidal zone, Paleontology, Marine, Invertebrate

Notes

Program/Department affiliation: Geoscience; Quaternary Invertebrate Paleontology Lab

Major

Environmental Studies; Geoscience

Project Mentor(s)

Veronica Padilla Vriesman, Geosciences

2024

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Apr 26th, 12:00 PM Apr 26th, 2:00 PM

How tidal position affects growth banding in shells from Bodega Bay, California

Science Center: Bent Corridor

Marine bivalves have the unique ability to record environmental and oceanic conditions due to the shell calcification process that takes place throughout their entire lives. Through this process, growth bands form within the shells and vary in thickness, periodicity, and coloration. Dark bands typically correspond with nonideal conditions during growth, such as cold temperatures, low tide, and low food availability, causing anaerobic metabolism. Light banding, on the other hand, correlates with ideal growing conditions such as warm temperatures, high tides, and high food availability, allowing for aerobic metabolism. Using this understanding, this research project investigates how tidal position (low, mid, and high) affects the coloration of growth bands in mussel shells from Bodega Bay, California. To study this inquiry, banding patterns in the California mussel (Mytilus californianus) were analyzed and photographed using an optical microscope. With ImageJ software, these images were converted into grayscale, and gray values were calculated for each specimen. Gray value variance quantifies the proportion of light versus dark banding within the shells, with high gray value variance representing a stronger growth banding expression. With the information provided by this experiment, past decadal information on Bodega Bay's environmental and tidal conditions can be extrapolated to provide insight into how it differs from today as well as what it may look like in the future. As climate change continues to alter aquatic habitats, this information may be crucial to helping scientists do what they can to support bivalves and other intertidal specimens.