Native freshwater mussels are a keystone species and are considered both ecosystem engineers, improving habitat for other species, and indicator species important in assessing the health of the ecosystem.
The presence of diverse and reproducing populations of mussels indicates a healthy aquatic system. Conversely, declining mussel populations indicate potential ecosystem-level problems that may impact other fish and wildlife species, or people.
While efforts to date have focused on conserving freshwater mussels through captive propagation, relocation, monitoring, and mitigation of habitat loss, the role of disease in freshwater mussel declines has gone largely unexplored. A number of mass mortality events have been documented over the last 20 years involving federally-listed mussel species with no causative agents of the die-offs identified.
USGS scientists in collaboration with partners at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are working to develop a diagnostic tool box and collaborative network for responding to mussel die-offs and for assessing the health of captive, relocated, and wild mussel populations. The team is using state-of-the-art tools, paired with traditional diagnostic techniques, to investigate potential causative agents of mussel die-off events.
The goals of this project are to characterize the microbiome, metabolome, and pathology of freshwater mussels; develop standard sampling protocols and diagnostic assays for mussel die-offs and health assessments; and identify causes of die-offs to help in the management of freshwater mussels.
- Overview
Native freshwater mussels are a keystone species and are considered both ecosystem engineers, improving habitat for other species, and indicator species important in assessing the health of the ecosystem.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.A pocketbook mussel (Lampsilis cardium). Native freshwater mussels play important ecological roles in lakes and rivers. (Credit: Alissa Ganser, USGS. Public domain.) The presence of diverse and reproducing populations of mussels indicates a healthy aquatic system. Conversely, declining mussel populations indicate potential ecosystem-level problems that may impact other fish and wildlife species, or people.
While efforts to date have focused on conserving freshwater mussels through captive propagation, relocation, monitoring, and mitigation of habitat loss, the role of disease in freshwater mussel declines has gone largely unexplored. A number of mass mortality events have been documented over the last 20 years involving federally-listed mussel species with no causative agents of the die-offs identified.
USGS scientists in collaboration with partners at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are working to develop a diagnostic tool box and collaborative network for responding to mussel die-offs and for assessing the health of captive, relocated, and wild mussel populations. The team is using state-of-the-art tools, paired with traditional diagnostic techniques, to investigate potential causative agents of mussel die-off events.
The goals of this project are to characterize the microbiome, metabolome, and pathology of freshwater mussels; develop standard sampling protocols and diagnostic assays for mussel die-offs and health assessments; and identify causes of die-offs to help in the management of freshwater mussels.
- Publications