9416943 Levinton The purpose of this project is to understand the adaptations of complex particle processing mechanisms and limitations of bivalve mollusks by means of direct manipulative experiments using state of the art observational techniques. Dr. Levinton and colleagues will focus on bivalve mollusks, owing to their great impact on benthic-pelagic coupling in coastal ecosystems. They have a large range of particle feeding modes and they are amenable to tests of models of particle processing. They will examine the responses and limiting factors of suspension feeding and deposit feeding bivalves, when exposed to a natural ranges of particle qualities and total particle loads. Variations in response have proven to affect various aspects of bivalve feeding, which in turn strongly affects the suspended matter in a shallow coastal ecosystem and the nature of the organic matter that is biodeposited on the sediment surface. There is, therefore, an important link between bivalve feeding adaptations and coastal oceanography.
