Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
   


Hector Andrade preparing an exposure experiment to test the biosensor (Photo: Lionel Camus)

Biosensors in Arctic bivalves for environmental monitoring

Click on the flag for more information about Norway NORWAY
Monday, June 01, 2020, 00:00 (GMT + 9)

Monitoring the quality of ocean water is important, for various societal, economic and ecological reasons. But it is also costly and time-consuming, and the monitoring task itself can sometimes put humans at risk. We are looking for better ways to monitor water quality in high-risk environments.

Traditional systems for monitoring water quality in aquatic environments are rather expensive and rely on intensive exploitation of human resources to collect samples, do chemical analysis, and measure toxicity. This is especially true in the Arctic, where environmental conditions can be harsh, particularly in the winter due to low temperatures and poor availability of light. A desirable solution is to develop systems that can work without hands-on human control, either as sensors by themselves or as early warning detectors to trigger a sampling campaign.

Damien Tran gluing sensors to Icelandic scallops in the lab. Photo: Carl Ballantine 

In 2012, researchers from Akvaplan-niva AS and EPOC, a research unit of the University of Bordeaux and the French National Centre for Scientific Research, teamed up to deploy a valvometer – a device that monitors the gaping behavior of bivalves – in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The aim of this deployment was to adapt this biosensor developed by EPOC to Arctic conditions in order to study how the Icelandic scallop Chlamys islandica behaves and how its biologic rhythms are adapted to the Arctic environment. A new deployment with blue mussels Mytilus sp. was carried out in 2016 to study that species’ biology. The blue mussel had disappeared from Svalbard, but due to climate warming, it has resettled since the beginning of the 2000s.

To monitor the bivalves’ activity directly in the field, the valvometer is installed inside a cage. A pair of extremely light electrodes with flexible cables are glued on each half shell. An electromagnetic current generated between the electrodes makes it possible to measure the mollusk shell opening and closing. In a typical biosensor deployment, sixteen pairs of electrodes are coupled to a waterproof box next to the animals, simultaneously recording the behavior of sixteen bivalves.

This box contains a circuit board that manages the electrodes and is connected by cable to a second circuit board at the sea surface or on land. The data are saved and digitised, and then transferred to a supercomputer. The system measures the bivalves’ opening status every 1.6 seconds.

The continuous monitoring of Icelandic scallops and, more recently, blue mussels in Ny-Ålesund is allowing us to understand the baseline gaping behavior and shell growth of both species and how changes in the environment affect the species’ life cycles. A surprising discovery was that despite the lack of light during the polar night, both species continue to grow in winter, and maintain a daily cycle in their behavior.

► Hector Andrade preparing an exposure experiment to test the biosensor. Photo: Lionel Camus

Once we have characterised baseline behavior, we can study how stressors such as increased temperature or the presence of toxins in the water disturb the species’ gaping behavior. In 2020, we will expose Icelandic scallops to harmful algae under laboratory conditions, to test whether the species changes its baseline behavior. If we manage to record behavioral changes that can be attributed to the presence of phycotoxins in the water, we will have developed a biosensor that can be employed as an early warning system to detect harmful algae blooms in the north. Such monitoring tools are much-needed nowadays, especially by the salmon aquaculture industry.

Future projects also include testing whether the biosensor coupled with a hydrophone can be employed to study the effects of noise pollution in the sea. In this regard, this innovative tool holds promise for marine monitoring, allowing managers to assess the environmental status of marine and freshwater ecosystems remotely and in real-time.

Icelandic scallops are ready to be deployed in the field with the electrodes glued onto their shells. Photos: Damien Tran

Source: Akvaplan-Niva


Further reading

Andrade H, Massabuau J-C, Cochrane S, Ciret P, Tran D, Sow M, Camus L (2016).High Frequency Non-invasive (HFNI) Bio-Sensors as a potential tool for marine monitoring and assessments. Frontiers in Marine Science 3.

Tran D, Sow M, Camus L, Ciret P, Berge J, Massabuau J-C (2016).In the darkness of the polar night, scallops keep on a steady rhythm. Scientific Reports 6, 32435.

This article was produced for Fram Forum 2020. Fram Forum is published by Framsenteret AS on behalf of FRAM – the High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment.


editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media


 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE NEWS
Japan
Mar 29, 18:30 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - Frozen volume of salmon and trout, both lower than the previous year. Salmon coho Fall
China
Mar 29, 07:40 (GMT + 9):
Southeast Pacific Squid Index: Giant squid (dosidicus gigas)
Canada
Mar 29, 07:10 (GMT + 9):
Cooke Aquaculture Named One of Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers
Indonesia
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - EFishery acquihires Indonesian AI-powered IoT startup, to launch AI brand
France
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | The Fishing Daily: French Minister Urges Dialogue Over UK Expansion of Marine Protected Areas
Thailand
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Thai Union Collaborates to Achieve Zero Wastewater Discharge and Establish an Industry Learning Center
Russian Federation
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Russia and China Combat Illegal Fishing: Electronic Certificates of Legality for Catches
United Kingdom
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Brexit costs Scotland up to USD 126.09 million-a-year in lost salmon exports
French Guiana
Mar 29, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF – 'The French vessel that is to come to patrol Guyana’s waters, saving the country $100M through illegal fishing, is yet to dock here'
Japan
Mar 29, 03:00 (GMT + 9):
Driftnet fishing for salmon and trout starts early. Agreement with Russia
Russian Federation
Mar 29, 01:00 (GMT + 9):
Will the Russian Far East be the country with the most snow crabs in 2025?
Viet Nam
Mar 29, 01:00 (GMT + 9):
Shrimp exports from Ecuador are facing many challenges
Japan
Mar 29, 00:50 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - Faced with the Peruvian decline, fishmeal production in India and Oman is increasing rapidly
Australia
Mar 28, 21:10 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - At WTO, Australia seeks details on India's fisheries plan
Croatia
Mar 28, 21:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - Cromaris business results in 2023



Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
Clipfish challenges in Brazil: Port bureaucracy stops millions worth
Brazil More and more clipfish containers are being stopped in Brazilian ports. - Complicated regulations make market access challenging, to say the least, say Norwegian exporters who risk large losses. Bra...
Catches in the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea
Russia Fed. Situational update as of 03/24/2024 Source: Stockfile FIS Sea of Okhotsk (pollock) According to OSM data in the Sea of Okhotsk, pollock catch (industrial and coastal fisheries) as of March 24, 20...
Productive Development of the Fishing Activity
Peru Fishing Sector Bulletin - January 2024 The landing of hydrobiological resources registered a negative interannual variation of 62.7%, as a result of the lower landing of fishing resources for indirec...
NGO Sues UK Government Over International Fishing Quotas
United Kingdom Blue Marine Foundation, a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health, has launched legal proceedings over the government’s decision to set fishing opportunities, for more than half UK st...
 

Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2024 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER