Growth and behaviour of blue mussels, a re-emerging polar resident, follow a strong annual rhythm shaped by the extreme high Arctic light regime

Polar regions are currently warming at a rate above the global average. One issue of concern is the consequences on biodiversity in relation to the Northward latitudinal shift in distribution of temperate species. In the present study, lasting almost two years, we examined two phenological traits, i.e. the shell growth and behavioural rhythm of a recently re-established species in the high Arctic, the blue mussel Mytilus sp. We compared this with a native species, the Islandic scallop Chlamys islandica . We show marked differences in the examined traits between the two species. In Mytilus sp., a clear annual pattern of shell growth strongly correlated to the valve behaviour rhythmicity, whereas C. islandica exhibited a shell growth pattern with a total absence of annual rhythmicity of behaviour. The shell growth was highly correlated to the photoperiod for the mussels but weaker for the scallops. The water temperature cycle was a very weak parameter to anticipate the phenology traits of both species. This study shows that the new resident in the high Arctic, Mytilus sp., is a highly adaptive species, and therefore a promising bioindicator to study the consequences of biodiversity changes due to global warming.

Rhythms during the polar night: evidence of clock-gene oscillations in the Arctic scallop Chlamys islandica

Arctic regions are highly impacted by climate change and are characterized by drastic seasonal changes in light intensity and duration with extended periods of permanent light or darkness. Organisms use cyclic variations in light to synchronize daily and seasonal biological rhythms to anticipate cyclic variations in the environment, to control phenology and to maintain fitness. In this study, we investigated the diel biological rhythms of the Arctic scallop, Chlamys islandica , during the autumnal equinox and polar night. Putative circadian clock genes and putative light perception genes were identified in the Arctic scallop. Clock gene expression oscillated in the three tissues studied (gills, muscle, mantle edge). The oscillation of some genes in some tissues shifted from daily to tidal periodicity between the equinox and polar night periods and was associated with valve behaviour. These results are the first evidence of the persistence of clock gene expression oscillations during the polar night and might suggest that functional clockwork could entrain rhythmic behaviours in polar environments.