They may not have evolved language or consciousness but freshwater mussels are talking to scientists about the state of their environment. Scientists at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation are getting the lowdown on pollution levels in rivers, lakes and estuaries by measuring the frequency with which mussels open and close their shells. The scientists are also using the shellfish as archives of environmental data to monitor changes in water pollution.
Mussels open their valves to feed.
They also open up to expire, excrete and reproduce. But if the water is toxic, chemical receptor cells in the molluscs send signals commanding the muscles controlling the valves to clam up. Dr Markich has developed a device for recording the patterns of opening and closing in mussel shells. When the shell moves, electronic signals are sent in real time to a personal computer which records them. But to make sense of what the mussels are saying, I have to calibrate them.