Biology and farming of the green mussel Mytilus smaragdinus

Biological investigations were carried out in Sapian Bay, Capiz from November 1975 to December 1976 with samplings conducted fortnightly. Histological studies on the gonad reveal a high percentage of ripe and spent females during the month of April and May, and ripe to near ripe during November to December. However, larval counts were highest on February 25, 1976 with 253 mytilid larvae per haul compared to 0-79 per haul during all other months. The high larval count was followed by the highest spat settlement during the next sampling period two weeks later, with the spat collector set in the water during the February 25 sampling. The four materials tested, blue polypropylene fiber rope, black polypropylene fiber, and coir rope, all had their highest spat counts during this period with an average of 471 spats per standard 10 cm rope piece. The range during the other time periods is 2-283 spats. Of the 4 materials tested, the black fibrillated polypropylene film had the highest larval counts in 15 out of a total of 25 sampling periods. The blue rope was the poorest spat collector. Coconut husk was tested later on and it proved to have a very high catchability, with spats completely enveloping the husk surface. Growth monitored from one cohort in Sapian Bay averaged 10 mm per month. 50-60 mm is considered marketable size. Trial growth experiments with transplanted mussels were also conducted at Igang Bay in Guimaras Island, Makato River in Aklan, and a milkfish pond in Leganes, Iloilo. Survival in Igang was less than 50% after the second week, and the condition of the surviving mussels can be described only as 'watery' with the mantle completely transparent. Mortality was minimal in Makato but the growth rate was only 30% that of Sapian Bay. The pond experiments were terminated due to severe crab predation.

Haematological responses of green mussel Perna viridis (Linnaeus) to heavy metals copper and mercury

Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Cultura de microalgas marinhas Isochrysis galbana , Green (variedade T. Iso) e Tetraselmis suecica (Kilin) Butch

The experimental cultures of the marine microalgae Isochrysis galbana Green (variety T. Iso) and Tetraselmis suecica (Kylin) Butch for feeding mussel larvae are described in detail.

Present status and problems of mussel culture in India

Two species of mussels, the green mussel (Perna viridis) and the brown mussel (Perna indica) were cultured using the seed collected from the natural beds of the east and west coasts of India. The results of culture experiments are consolidated and the present status is reviewed. Although the culture experiments gave encouraging results, problems such as mooring of rafts in highly turbulent coastal waters, large scale seed requirements, control of predation, legal problems and marketing of end products require urgent attention before undertaking commercial operations. Some of the major problems of mussel culture are outlined for formulating effective management policies and their implementation for commercial mussel farming in India.

Body condition indices of Asian green mussels, Perna viridis, from Indonesia

While part of a single country, the Indonesian archipelago covers several biogeographic regions, and the high levels of national shipping likely facilitate transfer of non-native organisms between the different regions. Two vessels of a domestic shipping line appear to have served as a transport vector for the Asian green mussel Perna viridis (Linnaeus, 1758) between regions. This species is indigenous in the western but not in the eastern part of the archipelago, separated historically by the Sunda Shelf. The green mussels collected from the hulls of the ferries when in eastern Indonesia showed a significantly lower body condition index than similar-sized individuals from three different western-Indonesian mussel populations. This was presumably due to reduced food supply during the ships' voyages. Although this transportinduced food shortage may initially limit the invasive potential (through reduced reproductive rates) of the translocated individuals, the risk that the species will extend its distributional range further into eastern Indonesia is high. If the species becomes widely established in eastern Indonesia, there will then be an increased risk of incursions to Australia, where the mussel is listed as a high-priority pest species.

Asian green mussels (Perna viridis) transplanted between Jakarta Bay and Lada Bay, West Java, Indonesia (April 2012 - November 2013)

The Asian green mussel Perna viridis is tolerant to environmental stress, but its robustness varies between populations from habitats that differ in quality. So far, it is unclear whether local adaptations through stressinduced selection or phenotypic plasticity are responsible for these inter-population differences. We tested for the relevance of both mechanisms by comparing survival under hypoxia in mussels that were transplanted from an anthropogenically impacted (Jakarta Bay, Indonesia) to a natural habitat (Lada Bay, Indonesia) and vice versa. Mussels were retrieved 8 weeks after transplantation and exposed to hypoxia in the laboratory. Additional hypoxia tests were conducted with juvenile mussels collected directly from both sites. To elucidate possible relationships between habitat quality and mussel tolerance, we monitored concentrations of inorganic nutrients, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, phytoplankton density and the mussels' body condition index (BCI) for 20 months before, during and after the experiments. Survival under hypoxia depended mainly on the quality of the habitat where the mussels lived before the hypoxia tests and only to a small degree on their site of origin. Furthermore, stress tolerance was only higher in Jakarta than in Lada Bay mussels when the BCIs were substantially higher, which in turn correlated with the phytoplankton densities. We explain why phenotypic plasticity and high BCIs are more likely the causes of populationspecific differences in hypoxia tolerance in P. viridis than stress-induced selection for robust genotypes. This is relevant to understanding the role of P. viridis as mariculture organism in eutrophic ecosystems and invasive species in the (sub)tropical world.

Age-dependence of cultured pearl grade and colour in the black-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera

Pinctada margaritifera is an economically important marine bivalve species for cultured pearl production in French Polynesian aquaculture. In order to evaluate the influence of donor oyster age on pearl quality traits, experiments were conducted over 6 years using both grafts and surgreffe operations. At harvest, 6 pearl quality traits were recorded and compared: surface defects, luster, grade, darkness level, and visual color. Analyzing the quality traits of pearls harvested in the initial graft process and those of pearls obtained from surgreffe experiments allowed a comparison of the influence of pearl sac cells originating from the initial mantle graft, which aged together with their recipient oysters. The results demonstrated a significant decrease between these successive grafts in luster, grade (A-B-C,) darkness level, and green color – traits that are of major importance in the pearl market. The duplicated graft experiment allowed the comparison of donor oyster families at 2 and 5 years old, where a mantle graft was inserted into recipient oysters aged 2.5 years old. The results showed the same tendencies to a lesser extent, with 1) an improved pearl grade, predominantly through a most important rate of 0 surface defect category, and 2) a green / grey ratio in favor of the younger donor. A comparison between the graft-surgreffe and the duplicated graft experiments also highlighted: 1) the indirect role played by the younger recipient oysters, which must be optimized for optimal pearl quality realization, and 2) the complex interplay between donor and recipient oysters.

Capability green

Tract consultants are a landscape architecture practice, founded in 1973 as an offshoot to the highly innovative, interdisciplinary design and build company Merchant Builders, and was perhaps the first truly corporate practice of this type in Australia. Founding directors Rodney Wulff and Steve Calhoun were both instrumental in establishing the undergraduate landscape architecture course at RMIT University, and bringing our Jim Sinatra, who had taught Calhoun at the University of Iowa. Wulff remained for many years the holder of the only doctorate in landscape architecture in the country. This combination of an academic, design and professional agenda was a rich one for Tract in their early days. This founding generosity and interest in the intellectual aspects of landscape architecture continues in relation to the university in a number of ways, including information ones, such as the regular employment of applicants who fail to get into the course at RMIT. In preparing them for re-applying, he has given a number of individuals a way into the profession that the university could not allow.

Village green

For a communal garden in Copenhagen, Stig L. Andersson uses grasses of varying texture and height, creating a new view or spatial experience from every angle. The idea of vegetation texture being an important constituent of planting design is pervasive. Gardening books tell aspiring designers that "colour, texture and form" are the central aspects of planting arrangements. While these elements contribute to this language, they have tended to limit the language of planting to a singular, two dimensional paradigm, where planting is designed in static elevation. This has developed from a perennial-border approach demonstrated by the early 20th century garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, where the viewer is parallel to the bed, and the planting is layered to address this view. If one were to characterise the difference between a garden design and a landscape architectural approach, the latter would seem self-conscious in its use of space, movement and vision.

Living walls - a way to green the built environment

Actions Towards Sustainable Outcomes Environmental Issues/Principal Impacts The increasing urbanisation of cities brings with it several detrimental consequences, such as: • Significant energy use for heating and cooling many more buildings has led to urban heat islands and increased greenhouse gas emissions. • Increased amount of hard surfaces, which not only contributes to higher temperatures in cities, but also to increased stormwater runoff. • Degraded air quality and noise. • Health and general well-being of people is frequently compromised, by inadequate indoor air quality. • Reduced urban biodiversity. Basic Strategies In many design situations, boundaries and constraints limit the application of cutting EDGe actions. In these circumstances, designers should at least consider the following: • Living walls are an emerging technology, and many Australian examples function more as internal feature walls. However,as understanding of the benefits and construction of living walls develops this technology could be part of an exterior facade that enhances a building’s thermal performance. • Living walls should be designed to function with an irrigation system using non-potable water. Cutting EDGe Strategies • Living walls can be part of a design strategy that effectively improves the thermal performance of a building, thereby contributing to lower energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. • Including living walls in the initial stages of design would provide greater flexibility to the design, especially of the facade, structural supports, mechanical ventilation and watering systems, thus lowering costs. • Designing a building with an early understanding of living walls can greatly reduce maintenance costs. • Including plant species and planting media that would be able to remove air impurities could contribute to improved indoor air quality, workplace productivity and well-being. Synergies and References • Living walls are a key research topic at the Centre for Subtropical Design, Queensland University of Technology: http://www.subtropicaldesign.bee.qut.edu.au • BEDP Environment Design Guide: DES 53: Roof and Facade Gardens • BEDP Environment Design Guide: GEN 4: Positive Development – Designing for Net Positive Impacts (see green scaffolding and green space frame walls). • Green Roofs Australia: www.greenroofs.wordpress.com • Green Roofs for Healthy Cities USA: www.greenroofs.org