1. The filtration rate (volume of water completely cleared of collodial carbon per unit time) by control oysters is 36.60 ml/g hr ± 7.68 (sd).2. Filtration rates decrease with increasing concentrations of Cd2+ and Zn2+.3. In 8–16 mg/l Cu2+, filtration rates are significantly higher than the control, but in Cu2+ concentrations above 32 mg/l, filtration rates are lower than controls.4. Influx of 14C-glycine is characterized by Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Jmax and Kt values of 1.85 ± 0.097 μmol/g hr and 33.7 ± 4.6 μM respectively.5. The uptake rate of glycine from 1 μM solution is 37.79 μmol/g hr.6. In order of degree of inhibition of glycine uptake, Cu2+ > Cd2+ > Zn2+.7. In 128 mg/l Cu2+, glycine uptake rate is reduced to 3.96 nmol/g hr or 10.5% of control.8. The rate of glycine uptake by filter feeding bivalves is dependent on rate of water pumping rate.9. The volume specific glycine transport (amount of glycine transported/unit volume of seawater completely cleared of colloidal carbon) by control oysters in 1 μM glycine concentrations is 1.03 μmol/l.10. The volume specific glycine transport remains constant in increasing Zn2+ concentrations, and declines in increasing Cu2+ concentrations, suggesting differential effects of the metals on particle filtration and the epithelial amino acid carriers.11. The apparent volume specific glycine transport increases to 2.14 μmol/l in 128 mg/l Cd2+. This volume specific transport greater than the glycine concentration in the medium suggests that there may be uptake of cadmium complexed glycine by the oysters.