> On Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:03:02 -0400 [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
>     2. Extreme shell collecting (7)
>
>     I wonder how the mussels survive in such an adverse environment.
>     Thousands of tons of hard ice crunching down on them with every low
>     tide, down to the base of the ice at lowest tide (below where the
>     Inuit can get). Those might be interesting specimens, and it would
>     be interesting to see what adaptive modifications they have.

* here's what Ken Storey says about this:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: FW: Ice Fishing
Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2011 09:14:50 -0400
From: Kenneth Storey <[log in to unmask]>
To: Frederick W. Schueler <[log in to unmask]>

Fred:
   We have seen this video - it is awesome.

Rules of Thumb:

1. Marine molluscs who are exposed at low tide and live in areas where
the temperature goes below zero ARE freeze tolerant. Others are not.
Several species of marine snails and Mytilus have been worked on. The
mussels they are collecting are fully freeze tolerant !

2. Fresh water molluscs avoid exposure and supercool instead of
freezing. They can easily depress their freezing points b\past that of
the fresh water they are in. WATER freezes, they don't. Exception sponge
gemules - they are kind of stuck and freeze in their 'jelly'.

3. If there were physiology or biochemical studies done on fresh water
clams, we could work on those. But the molecular stuff can't be done
until something is known at higher levels.... And we could only work on
HUGE Anadonta !

You should be frog hunting !
kenstorey

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth B. Storey, F.R.S.C.
Canada Research Chair in Molecular Physiology
Professor of Biochemistry
Carleton University
Dept. of Biology or Dept. of Chemistry
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6

Tel:  (613) 520-3678    Res: (613) 225-9015
Fax:  (613) 520-3749
Email:  [log in to unmask]
Homepage:   http://www.carleton.ca/~kbstorey
View my ISI Highly Cited profile:
http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&link1=Browse&link2=Results&id=2234
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * *

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------