Flame retardant breakthrough is naturally derived and nontoxic

Inspired by a naturally occurring material found in marine mussels, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have created a new flame retardant to replace commercial additives that are often toxic and can accumulate ...

Monitoring heavy metals using mussels

A research team in Malaysia has concluded that caged mussels are useful for monitoring heavy metal contamination in coastal waters in the Strait of Johore. Initial results indicate more pollution in the eastern part of the ...

Boat owners can fight barnacles with new eco-friendly method

Barnacles can be found in all marine environments and are a major problem for both small boats and large ships. Barnacles accumulate on the hulls and can reduce the fuel economy of a vessel by up to 40 per cent, increasing ...

Mussels cramped by environmental factors

The fibrous threads helping mussels stay anchored – in spite of waves that sometimes pound the shore with a force equivalent to a jet liner flying at 600 miles per hour – are more prone to snap when ocean temperatures ...

Invisible plastic particles in seawater damaging to sea animals

(Phys.org)—Plastic nanoparticles in seawater can have an adverse effect on sea organisms. Particles measuring about a thirty millionth of a millimetre, and therefore invisible to the naked eye, are responsible. Mussels ...

Morocco's illegal mussel pickers ply non-eco trade

Thousands of Morocco's unemployed slum-dwellers head to the Atlantic coast every morning to scrape a living as illegal mussel pickers. But experts say they threaten the health of the marine ecosystem.

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