Seawater carbonate chemistry and influence of periostracum cover, pH and simulated abrasion of periostracum on external shell dissolution at Marshall Gulch Beach, CA

We tested this hypothesis in adult California mussels, Mytilus californianus. We quantified shell dissolution rates as a function of periostracum cover across three levels of reduced pH (7.7, 7.5, and 7.4 on the total scale). Since periostracum can also be eroded over time, we additionally conducted a first-pass examination of whether differing surface textures induced by abrasional processes might influence dissolution rates. We contextualized this set of experiments with measurements of mussel periostracum cover in multiple intertidal habitats.