MUSSEL SHELLS AS ENVIRONMENTAL TRACERS: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE LOVEDAY BASIN

It is logical to assume that changes within, or contamination of, an environment can be inferred from analysis of the creatures that live in it. Analysis of biota can reflect many facets of an ecosystem or habitat, and can be a valuable complement to purely physical and geochemical methods. Studies have shown that molluscs, bivalves in particular, can be very useful bioindicators of pollution as metals can accumulate in both the soft tissue of the mollusc and their hard calcium carbonate shells. Indeed, in some cases the chemistry of shells can reflect the impact of anthropogenic activity upon their ecosystem (Carell et al. 1987). Detailed studies on molluscs began as early as the 1960s and have continued through to the present day. This study will focus on the shell of a mussel species commonly found in the lakes and billabongs of the Murray River system, Velesunio ambiguus, and seek to determine whether it can be used as a biomonitor of pollution and as a means to interpret the environmental history of the mussel's habitat.