The sea is too hot: the mussels are cooking in their own shell

Nothing like it had ever been seen. In California, thousands of mussels are dying from being too hot, literally cooking inside their own shells.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Nothing like it had ever been seen. In California thousands of mussels are dying from being too hot, literally cooking inside their own shell.

The record heatwave that is affecting various parts of the earth has led to, among other problems, what appears to be the largest mussel death in the past 15 years at Bodega Head, a small headland in the northern California bay.

In all his years of working in Bodega Bay, the Marine Reserve Coordinator Jackie Sones he had never seen anything like it: dozens of dead mussels on the rocks, their shells open and burned, their meat cooked!

Since there is low tide, the molluscs were forced to remain on the rocks at temperatures that touched 40 ° and ended up roasted inside their own shells. All due to the disproportionate increase in temperatures.

Many reports have also been received from other researchers regarding the sad fate of mussels, which died by the thousands along a stretch of coast of about 225 km.

University of British Columbia biologist Christopher Harley recalls that a similar event had already occurred at Bodega Head in 2004, but this time the situation is probably much more serious.

These are the photos taken and published by Dr. Stones, in which it can be seen that most of the mussels in the upper layer are dead. This is indicated by the blue color which is none other than the inside of the open shells.

 

And the problem may not only lie with these shellfish. In fact, experts expect that this massacre may also involve the rest of the marine ecosystem. As Dr. Stones stated:

“Mussels are known as a basic species. The equivalent is trees in a forest, they provide shelter and habitat for many animals, so when you hit the main habitat this also affects the rest of the system "

Therefore, mussels are not the only ones to suffer: corals die in warmer waters, starfish melt and crustaceans break. The consequences for our seas are truly dramatic ...

Read also:

• Mass die-off for starfish, mussels and crabs on British beaches
• The self-destruction of corals: they prefer to eat plastic rather than their natural food
• Mussels, that's why it would be better not to eat them