Thin slice of a mussel ovary, showing numerous eggs. By measuring the sizes of eggs and examining the stages of egg development, we can determine what time of year the mussels reproduce. Image courtesy of Gulf of Mexico 2002, NOAA/OER.
Thin slice of a mussel ovary, showing numerous eggs. By measuring the sizes of eggs and examining the stages of egg development, we can determine what time of year the mussels reproduce. Image courtesy of Gulf of Mexico 2002, NOAA/OER.