Study Finds Oysters Can Take Heat And Heavy Metals, But Not Both

Pollution is bad for the sea life and so is global warming, but aquatic organisms can be resilient. However, even organisms tough enough to survive one major onslaught may find that a double whammy is more than their molecular biology can take. A new study has found that even relatively low levels of heavy metal pollution can interfere with the metabolic processes of oysters, and that the effects of the pollution become particularly notable when oyster metabolism is also affected by high seasonal temperatures. The combined effect is strong enough to lead to fatal weakness and disease, adding a fundamental explanation for documented oyster declines in the wild. The effect also reveals an additional impact that warming coastal waters may have on cold-blooded organisms...