Mussels

When it comes to mussels, bigger isn't necessarily [better.:later] Tiny fibers called byssals enable mussels - the shellfish kind - to anchor themselves to coastlines despite crashing ocean waves. But new research [shows:demonstrates] that the attachment fibers weaken in warm water. A temperature rise of 15 degrees Fahrenheit lessens fiber [strength:length] by 60 percent, possibly causing them to fail completely. As climate change raises ocean temperatures, mussels may be forced to cooler [waters:liquid] . Emily Carrington of the University of Washington [presented:conducted] the research at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston: "Researchers have dissected mussel beds and found, I think, upwards of 100 [different:great] species. So if the mussels go it really changes that community. "We also eat mussels and so there's applications in aquaculture. The way they grow mussels, is the mussels have to [remain:use] attached to the ropes on their long lines. So if the mussels fall off before the farmers return to reap their harvest, then they've lost a lot of money."