The scope for growth (SFG) of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, was measured after exposure to Black Rock Harbor (BRH) dredged material in the laboratory and the field. A laboratory system was used to provide constant exposure levels, ranging from 0 to 10 mg/L, of suspended BRH sediment. Results indicated that concentrations as low as 1.5 mg/L BRH material reduced SFG, clearance rates, and shell growth. In the field, mussels were placed along a transect from the center of the disposal mound to a clean area that was distant from the disposal mound. The estimated maximum BRH exposure in the field (0.8 mg/L) produced no apparent reduction in the SFG of mussels collected 1 m above the bottom at the field sites. The level of BRH material estimated to affect SFG in field-exposed mussels (>0.8 mg/L) was within the range estimated from laboratory experiments (0-1.5 mg/L).