First records of Conrad´s false mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad, 1831) in the southern Bothnian Sea, Sweden, near a nuclear power plant

• The invasive, biofouling, Conrad's false mussel Mytilopsis leucophaeata was first recorded in Sweden during spring 2011 in the cooling water system of the power plant of Forsmark in the southern Bothnian Sea. The cooling water discharge area offers a favourable environment for growth, survival, and reproduction of M. leucophaeata and may provide a stepping stone for further spread. We present three different studies in the area, revealing a rapid increase in mussels in the artificially heated area, with densities of the magnitude of thousands of individuals m-2, as well as mussels living in surrounding waters, indicating an on-going expansion in the region.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

cooling water

invasive mussel

Bothnian Sea

biofouling

Mytilopsis leucophaeata

Conrad’s false mussel

Marine Ecology

marin ekologi

Plant Ecology

växtekologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)