Mussel declines prompt new seawater sampling techniques

MUSSELS are considered one of nature's yardsticks for coastal water quality - helping filter flows and providing insights into pollution.

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However, with mussel numbers declining from western Europe to the Arctic due to climate change, Environment Agency scientists are exploring new ways to sample water.

Each spring, Environment Agency officers collect samples of Atlantic Blue Mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Camel estuary, in Cornwall, as part of their routine water quality monitoring.

The Camel is one of around 20 sites in a national network. The mussel flesh is removed from the mussels and then sent to the Environment Agency laboratories at Starcross, in Devon, and Leeds, where it is analysed for a range of chemical contaminants found in the shellfish.