Mussels as Bioindicators

What do filter feeders primarily extract from the water?

• Only large particles and predators

• Suspended organic matter, bacteria, and pollutants

• Pure water without any particles

• Only synthetic chemicals and waste products

How do filter feeders obtain their food?

• By hunting smaller fish and invertebrates

• By photosynthesis like plants

• By constantly drawing in water through their gills and filtering out particles and contaminants

• By scavenging dead organisms from the ocean floor

What does bioaccumulation refer to?

• The process by which the concentration of chemicals decreases in an organism over time

• The ability to absorb chemicals in tissue

• The natural breakdown of chemicals within an organism's body

• The decrease in chemical concentration as it moves up the food chain

What is biomagnification?

• The reduction of chemical concentration in an organism's body through metabolic processes

• The decrease in chemical concentration as it moves up the food chain

• An increase in concentration of chemicals by organisms

• The ability of an organism to magnify its size through chemical intake

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What term is used to describe organisms that attach to rocks, logs, or other substances and are relatively stationary throughout their lives?

• Migratory organisms

• Sessile organisms

• Mobile organisms

• Aquatic organisms

Why are sessile organisms considered more reliable indicators of local water quality?

• They can move to different water sources.

• They are found in all types of water bodies.

• They are relatively stationary and reflect the local conditions.

• They are less affected by water pollution.

What are mussels highly sensitive to?

• Light intensity

• Environmental changes

• Noise pollution

• Air quality

Mussels respond to changes in all of the following EXCEPT:

• DO levels

• pH

• Temperature

• Salinity

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

What does a change in mussel behavior and growth indicate?

• A change in water quality

• A change in air quality

• A change in soil quality

• A change in light quality

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What does the presence or absence of indicator species in water signify?

• The level of pollution in the air

• The overall health and integrity of the ecosystem

• The temperature of the water

• The salinity of the water