Jose MF Babarro

Spanish National Research Council | CSIC · Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas

A general decline in foundation species at the rocky intertidal has been observed during the last decades all around the world and primarily related to climate change. In agreement with that trend, the mussel aquaculture sector in Galicia (NW Spain), the main production area in Europe, has warned over the last years about a decline in the availabil...

Shellfish aquaculture farms, due to their coastal position, face the threat of exposure to harmful algal blooms. Such blooms can release, among others, paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) produced by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella and are known to cause the restriction of bivalve harvesting sites. Shellfish can accumulate PSTs in levels that...

In aquatic environments, low dissolved oxygen concentrations can result in depressed bivalve defense systems while promoting anaerobic bacterial growth, ultimately leading to increased bivalve mortality rate. There are discrepancies between laboratory and field studies examining bivalve mortality under low oxygen conditions, possibly leading to an...

The analysis of the natural variability of seawater (Ta, Ωaragonite and pCO2) at Rodas Beach (NW Iberian Peninsula, Spain) revealed an increase of acidification. However, such pH change was not linked to any detrimental effect of the shell taphonomic characteristics of live razor clams harvested during distinct temporal series (length, thickness, o...

Valvometry is a non-invasive technique used to continuously monitor gaping behaviour of bivalves at high frequency. In previous laboratory studies, valvometry has revealed a behavioural sensitivity of bivalves to the presence of toxic microalgae in seawater. However, the application of valvometry as an early-warning system for detecting natural occ...

A number of trace elements (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, Pb, U and the rare earth elements – REE) were analyzed in the dissolved phase, suspended particulate matter and in different organs (gills, hepatopancreas, and the rest of soft tissue) in mussels of the native Mytilus galloprovincialis and invasive Xenostrobus securis species i...

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had severe, unpredictable and synchronous impacts on all levels of perishable food supply chains (PFSC), across multiple sectors and spatial scales. Aquaculture plays a vital and rapidly expanding role in food security, in some cases overtaking wild caught fisheries in the production of high-quality animal protein i...

Marine aquaculture takes advantage of marine ecosystem services to produce goods that can be relevant from a food security point of view. However, this activity is subject to multiple stressors as the ones exerted by global climate change. Local stressed conditions due to environmental drivers may be exacerbated by the COVID19 pandemic crisis. In t...

The effects of harmful algae on bivalve physiology are complex and involve both physiological and behavioural responses. Studying those responses is essential to better describe and predict their impact on shellfish aquaculture and health risk for humans. In this study we recorded for two months the physiological response of the blue mussel Mytilus...

Estuarine exchange flow plays an important role in the biogeochemical properties exchange between the coastal ocean and the estuaries. Circulation patterns inside the Rias Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) have been widely studied, while the Ría de Pontevedra has received less attention. A high-resolution ROMS-AGRIF system configuration with three onli...

Sustained periods of anoxia, driven by eutrophication, threaten coastal marine systems and can lead to mass mortalities of even resilient animals such as bivalves. While mortality rates under anoxia are well-studied, the specific mechanism(s) of mortality are less clear. We used a suite of complementary techniques (LT50, histology, 16S rRNA amplico...

Local environmental conditions can have strong effects on ecophysiological responses in bivalve molluscs. Molluscs must allocate the energetic resources acquired in their habitats to survival and fitness. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of response in relation to byssus strength and soft tissue weight during the max...

The rapid, global spread of COVID-19, and the measures intended to limit or slow its propagation , are having major impacts on diverse sectors of society. Notably, these impacts are occurring in the context of other anthropogenic-driven threats including global climate change. Both anthropogenic stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic represent signifi...

The rapid, global spread of COVID-19, and the measures intended to limit or slow its propagation, are having major impacts on diverse sectors of society. Notably, these impacts are occurring in the context of other anthropogenic-driven threats including global climate change. Both anthropogenic stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic represent signific...

The impact of simulated seawater acidification and warming conditions on specimens of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis locally adapted to very distinct, widely separated sites in the Mediterranean Sea (Tunisia) and Atlantic Sea (Galicia, NW Spain) was evaluated in relation to key behavioural and eco-physiological parameters. Over the 2-month ex...

Ocean acidification is expected to affect marine organisms in the near future. Furthermore, abrupt short-term fluctuations in seawater pCO2 characteristic of near-short coastal regions and high-density aquaculture sites currently have the potential to influence organismal and community functioning by altering animal behaviour. While anti-predator r...

Estuarine environments are highly heterogeneous habitats where numerous organisms interact with each other. Aquaculture systems encompass such interactions, and the eventual yields depend on how the cultivated species respond to the environmental heterogeneity. Marine mussels are calcifying organisms that rely on calcium carbonate shell and byssus...

The current trend of climatic alterations will accelerate the modification of the ocean system by, among other aspects, changing the metal speciation and its bioavailability which may have an impact in their accumulation by marine organisms. Understanding the impact of these potential changes is essential for future risk assessment of metal contami...

The carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean is increasing as levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase, thus lowering the ocean pH and altering the carbonate system. In this laboratory study, we evaluated the physiological responses of juvenile mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Galician waters (NW Iberian Peninsula) exposed to control (500...

Marine mussel aggregations act as a substratum and refuge for many fouling species. Mussel cultivation in Galicia, Spain, is carried out on hanging ropes in subtidal systems. The fauna associated with this cultivation includes a large number of invertebrates that compete for space or food with the mussels, or use their clusters as a refuge from pre...

The saxitoxin-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum is a well-known microalga that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in many coastal regions of the world. In this study, we measured the valve movements of cultivated mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis feeding on toxic A. minutum (n = 29 mussels, shell length = 67.1 ± 3.2 mm, x̅ ± SD)...

Properties of the shells and byssus filaments secreted by marine mussels are affected by environmental and biotic factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of pH and temperature on shell and byssus in artificially created monospecific and mixed aggregations of the indigenous mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the invasive mussel Xenostr...

We describe the valve-opening behavior of raft-cultivated mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in the Ría de Arousa (Arousa estuary), Spain. Eight rope-grown mussels [mean ± standard error (SEM), shell length 61.6 ± 2.1 mm] were connected to a non-invasive valvometry apparatus that monitored (one measurement min−1) the magnitude of valve openness sy...

Several bivalve species produce byssus threads to provide attachment to substrates, with mechanical properties highly variable among species. Here, we examined the distal section of byssal threads produced by a range of bivalve species (Mytilus edulis, Mytilus trossulus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilus californianus, Pinna nobilis, Perna perna,...

The ability of the invasive mussel Xenostrobus securis to activate defence mechanisms in response to the novel predatory dogwhelk Nucella lapillus was explored using field- and laboratory-based approaches. The importance of the origin of mussels was investigated in relation to different environmental conditions and levels of predation pressure (hig...

Different combinations of behavioural and physiological responses may play a crucial role in the ecological success of species, notably in the context of biological invasions. The invasive mussel Xenostrobus securis has successfully colonised the inner part of the Galician Rias Baixas (NW Spain), where it co-occurs with the commercially-important m...

Temperature data recorded by robo-mussels. Robo-mussels recorded temperatures in mussel beds every 30 minutes during July and August 2013. (TIF)

This study aims to evaluate the effect of environmental variability on the growth and survival of the subtropical and tropical mussels Perna perna and Perna viridis at four different culture depths in the Gulf of Cariaco during an annual cycle. Juveniles of P. perna (39.1±1.88 mm in shell length) and P. viridis (36.7±1.87 mm) were sown on nylon rop...

Concentrations of 11 metals (Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn) were determined by inductively coupled plasma quadruple mass spectrometer measurements in byssus of two mytilid species Mytilus galloprovincialis and Xenostrobus securis from three sites situated along the coastline of Ría de Vigo (NW Spain). The species coexist only at one...

'Onium' compounds, including ammonium and phosphonium salts, have been employed as antiseptics and disinfectants. These cationic biocides have been incorporated into multiple materials, principally to avoid bacterial attachment. In this work, we selected 20 alkyl-triphenylphosphonium salts, differing mainly in the length and functionalization of th...

The mussel Xenostrobus securis is endemic to the brackish waters of New Zealand and Australia, but has successfully invaded the inner Galician Rías of NW Spain, where it coexists with the indigenous mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. In this laboratory study, the plasticity of the byssus attachment strength of two mytilids was compared by manipulati...

The black pygmy mussel Limnoperna securis (Lamarck 1819) is endemic to the brackish waters of New Zealand and Australia, but over the past decade, it has successfully invaded the inner Galician Rias of NW Spain. There is growing concern that L. securis will expand its range to the outer zones of the Rias, where it would pose a threat to the intensi...

We analyzed absorption efficiency (AE) and digestive enzyme activity (amylase, cellulase complex, and laminarinase) of the infaunal bivalve Tagelus dombeii originating from two geographic sites, Corral-Valdivia and Melinka-Aysén, which have different long-term paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) exposure rates. We report the effects of past feeding...

The co-existence patterns of 2 mytilid species were studied in order to evaluate the performance of the alien mussel Xenostrobus securis and the indigenous Mytilus galloprovincialis through monospecific and mixed co-habiting experiments in the Ría de Vigo (northwest Spain). Mytilus galloprovincialis was found to be the best performer in all tests....

The effect of the abiotic environment on byssus tenacity and associated features was investigated for Mytilus galloprovincialis in the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain). The effect of site was examined at macro-geographical (outer exposed Cabo Estay vs. inner sheltered San Simon Ensenada sites) and micro-geographical (intertidal vs. subtidal locations) scales...

The impact of an alien species is correlated with its abundance and potential to colonise new environments. Consequently, the crucial aspects that give a mytilid species invasive potential include its strength and capacity for adhesion to a wide variety of substrates and its ecological tolerance to environmental conditions. The alien black pygmy mu...

Variability of total free amino acid (TFAA) pool in Mytilus galloprovincialis was analysed following raft culture of growing mussels. With the aim to ensure the actual effect of animal’s size, a mussel population was sampled in laboratory covering the field size (15- to 60-mm shell length). TFAA showed a constant profile regardless size increase of...

The reproductive cycle of the eared ark Anadara notabilis and its relationship with environmental factors was evaluated every 15 days between March 2004 and February 2005 at the northern part of the Peninsula de Araya, Venezuela. Environmental factors measured included temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, and total seston, including the particulat...

The effect of spawning events of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis on both quantitative and qualitative values of byssus secretion and its associated attachment force was investigated. Byssogenesis rates and absorption efficiency values were significantly reduced after spawning of individuals. However, the maintenance of individuals under sub-op...

Byssogenesis rate and attachment strength of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis were investigated in the laboratory considering different body sizes and feeding conditions. Byssal thread secretion was significantly higher in juveniles as compared to larger mussels of approximately 87 mm shell length. Asymptotic number of threads attached was obta...

A comparative survey of the anaerobic survival potential of four different bivalve species and the interference of associated bacteria has been carried out. Individuals from both subtidal and intertidal environments were considered by selecting the following species: Mytilus edulis (subtidal epifaunal), Spisula subtruncata (subtidal infaunal), Maco...

Variability of taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid) was studied as a function of size in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and tissue specificity. Isometric and/or allometric relationships were established with regard to total soft mass of the mussels between 20 and 60 mm shell length. Relative amounts of taurine dropped significantly with incr...

Composition of free amino acids (FAA) in juveniles of Mytilus galloprovincialis was analysed along a large geographical coastline area in Galicia (NW Spain). Individuals were sampled in February 2003, three months after the Prestige oil spill. Pollution values at sampling time were reported as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations...

Growth of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis using raft culture was investigated for the first cultured generation following the Prestige oil spill off northwestern Spain. Seed from three natural populations along the Galician coastline, Pindo, Miranda, and Redes, was transplanted to a raft culture system in Ria de Ares-Betanzos. The physiological an...

Postlarval recruits of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis were sampled in February 2003 at 7 localities along the Galicia coast (NW Spain) exhibiting different levels of impact from the 'Pres- tige' oil spill. These localities are important grounds for seed collection used in raft culture. The con- centrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PA...

Mussel seed Mytilusgalloprovincialis from two origins (rocky shore and collector ropes) was cultivated on a raft (submerged culture) in the Ría de Arousa (north-west Spain) from approximately 20 mm to 60 mm shell length. Absorption efficiencies (AEs) and absorption rates (ARs) of the individuals were recorded in situ throughout cultivation time fro...

Growth and survival of the scallop Lyropecten nodosus were studied in 1997 at two sites (inner and outer Turpialito Bay) during a non-upwelling period normally occurring between August and November. Individuals had an initial shell height of 4.86 cm (SD=1.64 cm). Both experimental groups were held in suspended plastic baskets at the same depth (4 m...

Growth of seed mussel Mytilusgalloprovincialis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) from two origins (rocky shore and collector ropes) placed on raft culture was compared. Mussel seed were cultivated following the commercial culture phases commonly used in Galician Rías: (a) from seeding to thinning-out and (b) from thinning-out to harvest. Differences in growth...

The effect of several abiotic factors (salinity, temperature and pH) on bacterial proliferation and survival time of the sea mussel Mytilus edulis L. were studied under anoxic incubations. In addition, the presence in the incubation media of ammonium and the volatile fatty acids propionate and acetate, both excreted fermentation products of the biv...

The anoxic survival time of the bivalves Chamelea gallina, Cerastoderma edule and Scapharca inaequivalvis from two different ecosystems and differing anoxia tolerances was studied in static (closed) and flow-through systems. The antibiotics chloramphenicol, penicillin and polymyxin were added, and molybdate (specific inhibitor of the process of sul...

Isochrysis galbana clone T-ISO was cultured in 5-L vessels with continuous light at 100 µmol photons m−2 s−1 at temperature room (22 °C) and harvested at early exponential phase. Dry weight (dw), ash content, biochemical composition and fatty acid profile were determined in fresh biomass and after storage for 7 days and 3 months at −76 °C for both...

Survival of the bivalve Macoma balthica in (near) anoxic seawater was studied in a static system and a flow-through system and compared with emersed exposure to air and N2. In the static system, a decrease in pH and exponential accumulation of sulphide in the incubation medium were observed, indicating excessive growth of (sulphate-reducing) bacter...

The effect of several antibiotics, molybdate and hydrogen sulfide was tested on anoxic tolerance of the cockle Cerastoderma edule, as well as utilisation of glycogen. The aim was to evaluate the role of fuel depletion and growth of bacteria as a cause of mortality. The exponential increase of sulfide and ammonium occurred in anoxic natural seawater...

In anoxic semi-closed systems, the survival time of the clam Macoma balthica was compared to clams which were incubated in the presence of several antibiotics (chloramphenicol, 5-oxytetracycline hydrochloride, penicillin, streptomycin, a mix of penicillin and streptomycin and a mix of chloramphenicol, polymyxin, neomycin and penicillin), sulphide a...

Growth and survival of scallop Lyropecten nodosus were studied fromJuly to November 1997 using three bottom culture methods, (1) in corrals,(2) in pockets, and (3) in anchored sleeves. All size parameters studied (dryweight of the muscle, gonad, remaining tissues and shell, and shell length)showed significant differences due to culture method. The...

Mussel seed Mytilus galloprovincialis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) from two origins (rocky shore and collector ropes) was cultivated on a raft in the Ría de Arousa (north-west Spain), from seeding to thinning out, for 226 d (November 1995–July 1996) and two aspects of metabolism, oxygen consumption rate (VO 2 ) and ammonia excretion rate (VNH 4 -N) were s...

Mussel seeds (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk) of similar weight and length from two different origins (rocky shore and collector ropes) were cultivated on a raft in the Ria de Arousa (northwest Spain), from seeding to thinning out, for a total period of 208 days (November 1995 through July 1996). Weight increase rates for the seed from collector rop...

Mussel seed (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from two original habitats (rocky shore and collector ropes) was cultivated on a raft in the Ria de Arousa (northwest Spain), for a period of 226 days (November 1995 through June 1996), from seeding to thinning out, during which time the behavior of clearance rates (CR) and ingestion rates (IR) was studied. T...

Methods of physiological energetics were applied to compare growth rates of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk, from 2 habitats: intertidal and raft cultures. Scope for growth was determined after 1 and 15 d under standard laboratory conditions. Both groups of mussels improved their growth potential during maintenance in the laboratory due to a...

A study was carried out in two zones in the ria de Sada (Galicia, NW Spain) with mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk) coming from the same stock and cultured in rafts, from seed sized to the first split (individuals with sizes between 15 and 65 mm), in order to evaluate a) the environmental differences in each location and b) their influence on...