Linking Mussel Habitat Conditions to Restoration Outcomes and Ecosystem Services
Supported by: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and U.S. Geological Survey Species Management Program, Ecosystems Mission Area
The Issue: Freshwater mussels are absent or reduced from historical natural populations. Mussels are an important component of the aquatic ecosystem and provide services including nutrient sequestration and streambed stabilization. However, systematic approaches for selecting priority restoration sites within Great Lakes streams are limited.
Our Approach: Freshwater mussels have a lifespan of approximately 10 to 50 years, and therefore, the time scale for restoration is relatively long. In this effort the FWS, USGS, and partners have a vision to demonstrate successful restoration of mussel beds with a diverse range of species, aimed at maximizing the ecosystem services provided by robust communities of mussel.
Habitat assessment is conducted to determine a suitable habitat that has the specific geomorphological and hydrological conditions that have the highest probability for re-establishing a mussel community, and to determine a good water and sediment environment that supports the survival and growth of mussels and has no or limited contaminants, especially the chemicals that mussels are highly sensitive to, such as, ammonia, major ions (e.g., potassium and chloride), and metals (e.g., copper and nickel).
Reintroduction requires a thorough understanding of the natural history for each mussel species including the unique fish host. Propagation and/or relocation of mussel species must be coordinated with multiple agencies. Questions related to reintroduction also relate to scaling (number of mussels) to provide the minimum viable population and the expected quantifiable ecosystem benefits.
Monitoring mussel recovery success is imperative to establish best practices and quantify conditions leading to best outcomes. Due to the episodic nature of mussel stressors (e.g., temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, habitat change) these should be monitored during highest likelihood of exceeding known tolerance limits or return intervals for sensitive life stages.
Quantifying restoration success for long-lived species requires a combination of models to estimate population trajectories and bioenergetic requirements/inputs. These estimates can be used with existing information to quantify ecosystem services provided by the mussels (i.e., increased nutrient sequestration, increased bed stability).
Next steps: The research team is conducting habitat suitability studies of Michigan streams for placement of freshwater mussels. Studies in 2023 include an inventory of the existing benthic community and assessment of nutrient and chemical pollution. Native Michigan mussels are being propagated for placement in streams in 2024.
Broader Implications of this Technology: We aim to integrate science through four main components to assess, complete, monitor, and quantify successful mussel restoration within the Great Lakes and tributaries.
Additional Resources:
- Presentation: Linking mussel habitat conditions to restoration outcomes and ecosystem services
- Michigan Natural Features Inventory
- Mussel Resource Page - Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Return to Fish and Invertebrate Toxicology
Supported by: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and U.S. Geological Survey Species Management Program, Ecosystems Mission Area
The Issue: Freshwater mussels are absent or reduced from historical natural populations. Mussels are an important component of the aquatic ecosystem and provide services including nutrient sequestration and streambed stabilization. However, systematic approaches for selecting priority restoration sites within Great Lakes streams are limited.
Our Approach: Freshwater mussels have a lifespan of approximately 10 to 50 years, and therefore, the time scale for restoration is relatively long. In this effort the FWS, USGS, and partners have a vision to demonstrate successful restoration of mussel beds with a diverse range of species, aimed at maximizing the ecosystem services provided by robust communities of mussel.
Habitat assessment is conducted to determine a suitable habitat that has the specific geomorphological and hydrological conditions that have the highest probability for re-establishing a mussel community, and to determine a good water and sediment environment that supports the survival and growth of mussels and has no or limited contaminants, especially the chemicals that mussels are highly sensitive to, such as, ammonia, major ions (e.g., potassium and chloride), and metals (e.g., copper and nickel).
Reintroduction requires a thorough understanding of the natural history for each mussel species including the unique fish host. Propagation and/or relocation of mussel species must be coordinated with multiple agencies. Questions related to reintroduction also relate to scaling (number of mussels) to provide the minimum viable population and the expected quantifiable ecosystem benefits.
Monitoring mussel recovery success is imperative to establish best practices and quantify conditions leading to best outcomes. Due to the episodic nature of mussel stressors (e.g., temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, habitat change) these should be monitored during highest likelihood of exceeding known tolerance limits or return intervals for sensitive life stages.
Quantifying restoration success for long-lived species requires a combination of models to estimate population trajectories and bioenergetic requirements/inputs. These estimates can be used with existing information to quantify ecosystem services provided by the mussels (i.e., increased nutrient sequestration, increased bed stability).
Next steps: The research team is conducting habitat suitability studies of Michigan streams for placement of freshwater mussels. Studies in 2023 include an inventory of the existing benthic community and assessment of nutrient and chemical pollution. Native Michigan mussels are being propagated for placement in streams in 2024.
Broader Implications of this Technology: We aim to integrate science through four main components to assess, complete, monitor, and quantify successful mussel restoration within the Great Lakes and tributaries.
Additional Resources:
- Presentation: Linking mussel habitat conditions to restoration outcomes and ecosystem services
- Michigan Natural Features Inventory
- Mussel Resource Page - Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Return to Fish and Invertebrate Toxicology