Impact of multiple stressors on biomarker responses in sympatric dreissenid populations

Abstract Dreissenid mussels, well-known invaders of the northern hemisphere, also constitute good biomonitors for freshwater quality assessment. Whereas the oldest, Dreissena polymorpha , is relatively well-known, the new invasive, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis , has been very little characterized. The aim of this study was to compare subcellular biomarker responses within these species, by taking into account inter- and intra-specific variability in biomarker responses during a multi-stress assessment. Indeed, due to local environmental conditions and genetic background, biomarker responses can be different between populations of a given species, not only between species. To evaluate these differential responses, we sampled mussels on two sites where they are both present in sympatry (plus another D. r. bugensis population), and we exposed these populations in laboratory to different stressors: thermal stress (12 or 17 °C), dietary stress (fed or unfed), contamination (nickel at 0, 20 and 500 μg L −1 ) and exposure duration (0, 4 or 8 days). Results mainly evidenced strong inter-species and inter-population differences, underlining the need to discriminate correctly between the two species and to know well the populations used in biomonitoring. Results also evidenced thermal and food stress-related effects. The numerous data obtained during this multi-stress experiment also highlight the complexity of working on several stressors and analysing the associated results.