The International Mussel Watch 



1.7.3 Hand Collection 



Mussels may be collected from rocks or other non-contaminating substrates by hand. 

 Wearing polyethylene or other non-contaminating gloves, the mussels will be removed from the 

 substrates, if possible, by cutting the byssal threads with a clean knife. 



In areas where rock oysters are used, the outer shell which is not fixed to the rocky 

 substrate can be removed by placing a pre-cleaned stainless steel diving knife or other sharp object 

 near the base of the hinge and tapping with a hammer. 



1.7.4 Identification and Sorting of Bivalve Specimens 



• Following collection of bivalves using the above technique, the specimens will be carefully 

 separated from one another; if clumped, place on a non-contaminating sorting tray and wash of 

 mud and debris with site water. A plastic bristle brush may be used to scrub debris and algae from 

 bivalves. Polyethylene gloves should be worn while handling samples. Bivalve species will be 

 identified according to keys and guides found in the field manual. The size of the specimens 

 collected at a site should only be frftm the same upper 1/3 of the population. All bivalve samples 

 should be processed, packaged and properly stored as soon as possible following collection. 

 Although both oyster and mussel species will be collected for this program, only one species will 

 be collected for the sample at any one site. At selected sites, however, where overlap in oysters 

 and mussels occur, a pooled sample of both species will also be prepared. Shell length of a 

 representative number of individuals should be noted for each species sampled. 



1.7.5 Subsampling of bivalves 



For each station sample, approximately 300 g wet weight of oyster or mussel tissues will 

 be required for the organics sample. 



Wearing polyethylene gloves, double wrap 30 mussels or 20 oysters in aluminium foil. 



Place foil-wrapped samples inside plastic freezer bags and seal. 



Label the bags appropriately and place inside another freezer bag. 



Transfer the samples to an ice chest containing dry ice or regular ice + salt if unavailable. 



Check off the "Bivalve Organics" box under "Samples Collected" on the Bivalve 

 Observations Log. 



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