Wl. Silvert et Ad. Cembella, DYNAMIC MODELING OF PHYCOTOXIN KINETICS IN THE BLUE MUSSEL, MYTILUS-EDULIS, WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR OTHER MARINE-INVERTEBRATES, Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences, 52(3), 1995, pp. 521-531
Modelling the uptake and detoxification kinetics of phycotoxins in mar
ine filter-feeding bivalve molluscs is discussed and illustrated by a
case study involving blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in the lower St. La
wrence estuary in eastern Canada. A dynamic model was fit to empirical
data acquired on differential responses of mussels transplanted from
sites characterized by differing history of exposure to toxigenic bloo
ms responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Although it is
difficult to collect sufficient data to calibrate complicated models,
it appears that one- and two-compartment models are fully adequate fo
r this type of modelling. Measuring phycotoxin levels in shellfish can
be a useful and cost-effective adjunct to direct monitoring of phytop
lankton toxicity in the water column, because ongoing filtration by sh
ellfish provides an integrated estimate of the toxin to which they are
exposed.