Diane Waller
Diane Waller
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 14
Diagnostic Assay Development and Surveillance for Microsporidia in High Value Mussel Communities
The Snuffbox mussel ( Epioblasma triquetra ) was a historically widespread species occurring in 210 lakes and streams in the United States and Canada; however, the range has declined by 62% and reduced to 79 lakes and streams. Existing populations are small and isolated, increasing the risk of species extinction. These factors prompted the listing of Snuffbox as federally endangered in 2012...
Hydroacoustic mapping for native mussel and host fish habitats using Quadrula fragosa and Ictalurus punctatus
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN) is one of the best remaining refuges for declining populations of native unionid mussels in the United States and supports the only known self-sustaining population of the federally endangered Winged Mapleleaf ( Quadrula fragosa ) in the Upper Mississippi River basin. Mussel fauna are important to the river ecosystem, providing important ecological...
Investigation Into Mass Mussel Die-off Events
Assessing Impacts of Emerging and Established Diseases to Aquatic Ecosystems The decline of native freshwater mussels has the potential to devastate aquatic communities. Although factors such as habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species have been linked to this decline, these potential causes cannot fully explain the large-scale mussel die-offs that have occurred in the past 20 years...
Development of Sampling Protocols and Diagnostic Tools for Assessment of Freshwater Mussel Health
Assessing Impacts of Emerging and Established Diseases to Aquatic Ecosystems The role of disease in freshwater mussel declines has been largely ignored due to the lack of appropriate diagnostic tools. Furthermore, health assessment of mussels in conjunction with restoration and propagation has not been considered during stocking and augmentation activities. This project will develop standard...
Assessing Impacts of Emerging and Established Diseases to Aquatic Ecosystems
Native freshwater mussels play a critical role in aquatic environments and are considered “ecosystem engineers” and indicators of water quality by constantly filtering water. Populations of native freshwater mussels have declined in recent years, and this decline has been attributed to factors such as habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species, among others. The importance of these...
Development of Selective Control Tools
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels Currently, dreissenid mussel populations are spreading and becoming a growing problem in many aquatic systems, making it important to find management techniques that are selective for the invasive mussel populations while leaving the native populations intact. Control technology for dreissenids in open water currently relies on a limited number of...
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels
Dreissenid mussels have posed an aquatic invasive species challenge in the United States since their arrival in the Great Lakes in the 1980s. Zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha ) and Quagga ( D. bugensis ) mussels are filter feeders with high reproductive capacity. Their behaviors result in altered nutrient cycles, shifts in trophic structures, and extirpation of some native species in systems where...
Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide to Control Dreissenid Mussels
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been suggested as a chemical control for a variety of invasive aquatic organisms, including Asian Carp. USGS researchers and partners evaluated the efficacy of low CO2 concentrations for preventing zebra mussel larval (veliger) settlement and during summer 2019 in a harbor of the upper Mississippi River. The lowest CO2 concentration...
Evaluation of Copper as a Control Agent for Invasive Mussels
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels USGS researchers and partners conducted an experimental application of low dose copper, as EarthTecQZ, to a bay in Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. The veliger density and settlement were compared to that of an untreated bay within the same lake. The copper application produced a substantial reduction in zebra mussel abundance of early life stages, juvenile...
Effects of Carbon Dioxide on Non-Target Organisms
Invasive Carp Control: Carbon Dioxide Chemical controls are a vital component of many effective Integrated Pest Management plans. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for invasive carps as a general toxicant or behavioral deterrent. Administration of non-selective chemicals, such as CO2, into public waters could pose a risk to non-target organisms (e.g. native mussels...
Carbon Dioxide for General Aquatic Invasive Species Control
Invasive Carp Control: Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for general aquatic invasive species control. Most research has focused on its effectiveness as a behavioral deterrent and lethal control or invasive carps. However, because CO2 is generally non-selective, there is potential for this new control chemical to be applied across a wide range of...
Invasive Mussel Control Science: Management Tools for Assessing the Risks and Control of Invasive Dreissenid Species
Invasive zebra and quagga mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis , respectively) are causing significant ecological and economic impacts and the scope of these impacts increases as they continue to spread across North America. The USGS conducts science to inform management actions for controlling and mitigating the impacts of invasive mussels. Studies include evaluation and...
Metabolomic analysis of pheasantshell mussel (Ortmanniana pectorosa; Order Unionida) from a mass mortality event in the Clinch River, Virginia and Tennessee, USA
This dataset uses the ITIS recommended Ortmanniana pectorosa, Conrad, 1834 in place of Actinonaias pectorosa, which was used in the Richard et al. 2020 manuscript. Biologists monitoring freshwater mussel (Order Unionida) populations rely on behavioral, often subjective, symptoms to identify “sick” or stressed animals, such as gaping valves and slow response to probing and lack clinical indicators
Toxicity Testing Review, Derived from published literature and reports
The dataset is derived from a search of published books, papers, and reports on toxicity studies with Dreissena spp. mussels. Specific information was extracted from each paper on the study design, collection, handling, test methods, and reporting parameters.
Characterization of occurrence and abundance of targeted metabolites in unionid mussels from three streams
The data consists of targeted metabolite analysis (using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectroscopy;UHPLC-QTOF-MS) of hemolymph from two freshwater mussel species (Lampsilis cardium and L. siliquoidea) from three streams in Indiana. Concentrations of metabolites were modeled by species, stream and sex to determine the influence of each parameter.
Bacteria identified in freshwater mussels in the Clinch River, VA, associated with mortality events from 2018 to 2020
We investigated the cultureable bacterial communities in the native freshwater mussel faunal in the Clinch River, VA/TN during mussel mortality events in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and examine the spatial and temporal distribution of bacterial genera among Pheasantshells and six other unionid species.
A Novel Gonadotropic Microsporidian Parasite (Microsporidium clinchi n. sp.) Infecting a Declining Population of Pheasantshell Mussels (Actinonaias pectorosa) (Unioinidae) from the Clinch River, USA
Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are among the most endangered animal groups globally, but the causes of population declines are often enigmatic with little known about the role of disease. In 2018, we collected wild adult pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) and mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina) during an epidemiologic survey investigating an ongoing mussel mass mortality event in the Cli
Use of Carbon Dioxide to Prevent Settlement of Dreissenid Mussels
Dreissenid management has focused primarily on chemical tools which are efficacious, but not without ecological or economic costs. There is a need for additional control tools that are less expensive, readily available, and will not leave a residue after treatment. Carbon dioxide has these advantages over chemical pesticides and has demonstrated effectiveness for control of a range of aquatic inva
Assessments of the binary mixtures of four toxicants on Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) mortality, data release
This dataset captures the Zebra Mussel dose-response to four independent toxicants and each binary mixture of those toxicants. Toxicants included EarthTec QZ, Clam-Trol CT-2 (syn. Spectrus CT1300), niclosamide, and potassium chloride. Each dose of toxicant was verified with either ICP-OES or UHPLC, depending on analyte, and comparison to a standard curve. Mortality was tabulated for each observati
Assessment of uncontained Zequanox applications in a Midwestern lake data
We applied Zequanox using a custom-engineered, boat mounted application system to replicated 0.30 Hectare plots within a small inland lake. The objectives of these applications were to determine if uncontained, open-water Zequanox applications could effectively control zebra mussel populations and protect native unionid mussel populations within zebra mussel infested systems. The datasets included
Filter Total Items: 31
Carbon dioxide toxicity to zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) is dependent on water chemistry
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is gaining interest as a tool to combat aquatic invasive species, including zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). However, the effects of water chemistry on CO2 efficacy are not well described. We conducted five trials in which we exposed adult zebra mussels to a range of CO2 in water with adjusted total hardness and specific conductance. We compared dose–responses and found d
Authors
Matthew Barbour, Matthew J Meulemans, Todd J. Severson, Jeremy K. Wise, Diane L. Waller
Toward invasive mussel genetic biocontrol: Approaches, challenges, and perspectives
Invasive freshwater mussels, such as the zebra (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), and golden (Limnoperna fortunei) mussel have spread outside their native ranges throughout many regions of the North American, South American, and European continents in recent decades, damaging infrastructure and the environment. This review describes ongoing efforts by multiple groups
Authors
Victor H. Hernandez Elizarraga, Scott Ballantyne, Lindsey Gengelbach, Juliana A. Americo, Steven T. Suhr, Marie-Claude Senut, Ben Minerich, Christopher M. Merkes, Thea Margaret Edwards, Katy E. Klymus, Catherine A. Richter, Diane L. Waller, Yale J. Passamaneck, Mauro de F. Rebelo, Daryl M. Gohl
Mussel mass mortality in the Clinch River, USA: Metabolomics detects affected pathways and biomarkers of stress
Biologists monitoring freshwater mussel (order Unionida) populations rely on behavioral, often subjective, signs to identify moribund (“sick”) or stressed mussels, such as gaping valves and slow response to probing, and they lack clinical indicators to support a diagnosis. As part of a multi-year study to investigate causes of reoccurring mortality of pheasantshell (Ortmanniana pectorosa; synonym
Authors
Joel G. Putnam, John Steiner, Jordon Richard, Eric Leis, Tony Goldberg, Christopher D. Dunn, Rose Agbalog, Susan Knowles, Diane L. Waller
Open water dreissenid mussel control projects: Lessons learned from a retrospective analysis
Dreissenid mussels are one of the most problematic aquatic invasive species (AIS) in North America, causing substantial ecological and economic effects. To date, dreissenid mussel control efforts in open water have included physical, biological, and chemical methods. The feasibility of successful dreissenid mussel management or eradication in lakes is relatively undocumented in the freshwater mana
Authors
Angelique D. Dahlberg, Diane L. Waller, David Hammond, Keegan Lund, Nicholas B. D. Phelps
Targeted metabolomics characterizes metabolite occurrence and variability in stable freshwater mussel populations
Freshwater mussels (order Unionida) play a key role in freshwater systems as ecosystem engineers and indicators of aquatic ecosystem health. The fauna is globally imperilled due to a diversity of suspected factors; however, causes for many population declines and mortality events remain unconfirmed due partly to limited health assessment tools. Mussel-monitoring activities often rely on population
Authors
Diane L. Waller, Joel Putnam, John Steiner, Brant Fisher, Grant N. Burcham, John W. Oliver, Stephen B. Smith, Richard A. Erickson, Anne Remek, Nancy Bodeker
A bacteriological comparison of the hemolymph from healthy and moribund unionid mussel populations in the upper Midwestern U.S.A. prompts the development of diagnostic assays to detect Yokenella regensburgei
Recent bacteriological investigations of freshwater mussel mortality events in the southeastern United States have identified a variety of bacteria and differences in bacterial communities between sick and healthy mussels. In particular, Yokenella regensburgei and Aeromonas spp. have been shown to be associated with moribund mussels, although it remains unclear whether these bacteria are causes or
Authors
Eric Leis, Sara Dziki, Isaac Standish, Diane L. Waller, Jordan Richard, Jesse Weinzinger, Cleyo Harris, Susan Knowles, Tony Goldberg
Review and development of best practices for toxicity tests with dreissenid mussels
Since their introduction to North America in the 1980s, research to develop effective control tools for invasive mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) has been ongoing across various research institutions using a range of testing methods. Inconsistencies in experimental methods and reporting present challenges for comparing data, repeating experiments, and applying results. T
Authors
Diane L. Waller, Sherri Pucherelli, Matthew Barbour, Samantha Tank, Matthew J Meulemans, Jeremy K. Wise, Angelique Dahlberg, David C. Aldridge, Renata Claudi, W. Gregory Cope, Patricia L. Gillis, Donna Kashian, Denise A. Mayer, Kelly A. Stockton-Fiti, Wai Hing Wong
Further bacteriological analysis of annual Pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) mussel mortality events in the Clinch River (Virginia/Tennessee), USA, reveals a consistent association with Yokenella Regensburgei
Pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) mussels in the Clinch River (Tennessee/Virginia, USA) have declined dramatically in recent years. The bacterium Yokenella regensburgei was first isolated with high prevalence from Pheasantshells during the peak of a 2017 mortality event, but it was not identified after mortality subsided a few months later. Since 2017, Pheasantshell mortality in the Clinch Riv
Authors
Eric Leis, Sara Dziki, Jordan Richard, Rose Agbalog, Diane L. Waller, Joel G. Putnam, Susan Knowles, Tony Goldberg
Freshwater mussels show elevated viral richness and intensity during a mortality event
Freshwater mussels (Unionida) are among the world’s most imperiled taxa, but the relationship between freshwater mussel mortality events and infectious disease is largely unstudied. We surveyed viromes of a widespread and abundant species (mucket, Actinonaias ligamentina; syn: Ortmanniana ligamentina) experiencing a mortality event of unknown etiology in the Huron River, Michigan, in 2019–2020 and
Authors
Jordan Richard, Eric Leis, Christopher D. Dunn, Cleyo Harris, Rose Agbalog, Lewis J. Campbell, Susan Knowles, Diane L. Waller, Joel G. Putnam, Tony Goldberg
A novel gonadotropic microsporidian parasite (Microsporidium clinchi n. sp.) infecting a declining population of pheasantshell mussels (Actinonaias pectorosa) (Unioinidae) from the Clinch River, USA
Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are among the most endangered animal groups globally, but the causes of their population decline are often enigmatic, with little known about the role of disease. In 2018, we collected wild adult pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) and mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina) during an epidemiologic survey investigating an ongoing mussel mass mortality event in t
Authors
Susan Knowles, Eric M. Leis, Jordan C. Richard, Rebecca A. Cole, Rose E. Agbalog, Joel G. Putnam, Tony L. Goldberg, Diane L. Waller
Use of carbon dioxide to prevent zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) settlement and effects on native mussels (Order Unionoida) and benthic communities
We determined the efficacy of carbon dioxide (CO2) for preventing larval (veliger) settlement of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and compared the response of native juvenile mussels and macroinvertebrate and periphyton communities to hypercapnia. A microcosm system of control (ambient Camb) and CO2 treatments [low PCO2 (Clow)=35,094 µatm, and high PCO2 (Chigh)=66,685 µatm)] was su
Authors
Diane L. Waller, Lynn A. Bartsch, Michelle Bartsch, Matthew J Meulemans, Thomas J. Zolper, Todd J. Severson
Mussel mass mortality and the microbiome: Evidence for shifts in the bacterial microbiome of a declining freshwater bivalve
Freshwater mussels (Unionida) are suffering mass mortality events worldwide, but the causes remain enigmatic. Here, we describe an analysis of bacterial loads, community structure, and inferred metabolic pathways in the hemolymph of pheasantshells (Actinonaias pectorosa) from the Clinch River, USA, during a multi-year mass mortality event. Bacterial loads were approximately 2 logs higher in moribu
Authors
Jordan Richard, Lewis J. Campbell, Eric Leis, Rose Agbalog, Christopher D. Dunn, Diane L. Waller, Susan Knowles, Joel G. Putnam, Tony Goldberg
Indiana mussel metabolomics data analysis
This repository contains code to cluster a sample of Mussels based up their metabolic levels via Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and distance based-Redundancy Analysis (db-RDA). Mussel sample is broken down and examined by catch location, sex, and species. The code for this project assumes the reader is familiar with R and clustering techniques.
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 14
Diagnostic Assay Development and Surveillance for Microsporidia in High Value Mussel Communities
The Snuffbox mussel ( Epioblasma triquetra ) was a historically widespread species occurring in 210 lakes and streams in the United States and Canada; however, the range has declined by 62% and reduced to 79 lakes and streams. Existing populations are small and isolated, increasing the risk of species extinction. These factors prompted the listing of Snuffbox as federally endangered in 2012...Hydroacoustic mapping for native mussel and host fish habitats using Quadrula fragosa and Ictalurus punctatus
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN) is one of the best remaining refuges for declining populations of native unionid mussels in the United States and supports the only known self-sustaining population of the federally endangered Winged Mapleleaf ( Quadrula fragosa ) in the Upper Mississippi River basin. Mussel fauna are important to the river ecosystem, providing important ecological...Investigation Into Mass Mussel Die-off Events
Assessing Impacts of Emerging and Established Diseases to Aquatic Ecosystems The decline of native freshwater mussels has the potential to devastate aquatic communities. Although factors such as habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species have been linked to this decline, these potential causes cannot fully explain the large-scale mussel die-offs that have occurred in the past 20 years...Development of Sampling Protocols and Diagnostic Tools for Assessment of Freshwater Mussel Health
Assessing Impacts of Emerging and Established Diseases to Aquatic Ecosystems The role of disease in freshwater mussel declines has been largely ignored due to the lack of appropriate diagnostic tools. Furthermore, health assessment of mussels in conjunction with restoration and propagation has not been considered during stocking and augmentation activities. This project will develop standard...Assessing Impacts of Emerging and Established Diseases to Aquatic Ecosystems
Native freshwater mussels play a critical role in aquatic environments and are considered “ecosystem engineers” and indicators of water quality by constantly filtering water. Populations of native freshwater mussels have declined in recent years, and this decline has been attributed to factors such as habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species, among others. The importance of these...Development of Selective Control Tools
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels Currently, dreissenid mussel populations are spreading and becoming a growing problem in many aquatic systems, making it important to find management techniques that are selective for the invasive mussel populations while leaving the native populations intact. Control technology for dreissenids in open water currently relies on a limited number of...Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels
Dreissenid mussels have posed an aquatic invasive species challenge in the United States since their arrival in the Great Lakes in the 1980s. Zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha ) and Quagga ( D. bugensis ) mussels are filter feeders with high reproductive capacity. Their behaviors result in altered nutrient cycles, shifts in trophic structures, and extirpation of some native species in systems where...Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide to Control Dreissenid Mussels
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been suggested as a chemical control for a variety of invasive aquatic organisms, including Asian Carp. USGS researchers and partners evaluated the efficacy of low CO2 concentrations for preventing zebra mussel larval (veliger) settlement and during summer 2019 in a harbor of the upper Mississippi River. The lowest CO2 concentration...Evaluation of Copper as a Control Agent for Invasive Mussels
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels USGS researchers and partners conducted an experimental application of low dose copper, as EarthTecQZ, to a bay in Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. The veliger density and settlement were compared to that of an untreated bay within the same lake. The copper application produced a substantial reduction in zebra mussel abundance of early life stages, juvenile...Effects of Carbon Dioxide on Non-Target Organisms
Invasive Carp Control: Carbon Dioxide Chemical controls are a vital component of many effective Integrated Pest Management plans. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for invasive carps as a general toxicant or behavioral deterrent. Administration of non-selective chemicals, such as CO2, into public waters could pose a risk to non-target organisms (e.g. native mussels...Carbon Dioxide for General Aquatic Invasive Species Control
Invasive Carp Control: Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for general aquatic invasive species control. Most research has focused on its effectiveness as a behavioral deterrent and lethal control or invasive carps. However, because CO2 is generally non-selective, there is potential for this new control chemical to be applied across a wide range of...Invasive Mussel Control Science: Management Tools for Assessing the Risks and Control of Invasive Dreissenid Species
Invasive zebra and quagga mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis , respectively) are causing significant ecological and economic impacts and the scope of these impacts increases as they continue to spread across North America. The USGS conducts science to inform management actions for controlling and mitigating the impacts of invasive mussels. Studies include evaluation and... - Data
Metabolomic analysis of pheasantshell mussel (Ortmanniana pectorosa; Order Unionida) from a mass mortality event in the Clinch River, Virginia and Tennessee, USA
This dataset uses the ITIS recommended Ortmanniana pectorosa, Conrad, 1834 in place of Actinonaias pectorosa, which was used in the Richard et al. 2020 manuscript. Biologists monitoring freshwater mussel (Order Unionida) populations rely on behavioral, often subjective, symptoms to identify “sick” or stressed animals, such as gaping valves and slow response to probing and lack clinical indicatorsToxicity Testing Review, Derived from published literature and reports
The dataset is derived from a search of published books, papers, and reports on toxicity studies with Dreissena spp. mussels. Specific information was extracted from each paper on the study design, collection, handling, test methods, and reporting parameters.Characterization of occurrence and abundance of targeted metabolites in unionid mussels from three streams
The data consists of targeted metabolite analysis (using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectroscopy;UHPLC-QTOF-MS) of hemolymph from two freshwater mussel species (Lampsilis cardium and L. siliquoidea) from three streams in Indiana. Concentrations of metabolites were modeled by species, stream and sex to determine the influence of each parameter.Bacteria identified in freshwater mussels in the Clinch River, VA, associated with mortality events from 2018 to 2020
We investigated the cultureable bacterial communities in the native freshwater mussel faunal in the Clinch River, VA/TN during mussel mortality events in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and examine the spatial and temporal distribution of bacterial genera among Pheasantshells and six other unionid species.A Novel Gonadotropic Microsporidian Parasite (Microsporidium clinchi n. sp.) Infecting a Declining Population of Pheasantshell Mussels (Actinonaias pectorosa) (Unioinidae) from the Clinch River, USA
Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are among the most endangered animal groups globally, but the causes of population declines are often enigmatic with little known about the role of disease. In 2018, we collected wild adult pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) and mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina) during an epidemiologic survey investigating an ongoing mussel mass mortality event in the CliUse of Carbon Dioxide to Prevent Settlement of Dreissenid Mussels
Dreissenid management has focused primarily on chemical tools which are efficacious, but not without ecological or economic costs. There is a need for additional control tools that are less expensive, readily available, and will not leave a residue after treatment. Carbon dioxide has these advantages over chemical pesticides and has demonstrated effectiveness for control of a range of aquatic invaAssessments of the binary mixtures of four toxicants on Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) mortality, data release
This dataset captures the Zebra Mussel dose-response to four independent toxicants and each binary mixture of those toxicants. Toxicants included EarthTec QZ, Clam-Trol CT-2 (syn. Spectrus CT1300), niclosamide, and potassium chloride. Each dose of toxicant was verified with either ICP-OES or UHPLC, depending on analyte, and comparison to a standard curve. Mortality was tabulated for each observatiAssessment of uncontained Zequanox applications in a Midwestern lake data
We applied Zequanox using a custom-engineered, boat mounted application system to replicated 0.30 Hectare plots within a small inland lake. The objectives of these applications were to determine if uncontained, open-water Zequanox applications could effectively control zebra mussel populations and protect native unionid mussel populations within zebra mussel infested systems. The datasets included - Publications
Filter Total Items: 31
Carbon dioxide toxicity to zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) is dependent on water chemistry
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is gaining interest as a tool to combat aquatic invasive species, including zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). However, the effects of water chemistry on CO2 efficacy are not well described. We conducted five trials in which we exposed adult zebra mussels to a range of CO2 in water with adjusted total hardness and specific conductance. We compared dose–responses and found dAuthorsMatthew Barbour, Matthew J Meulemans, Todd J. Severson, Jeremy K. Wise, Diane L. WallerToward invasive mussel genetic biocontrol: Approaches, challenges, and perspectives
Invasive freshwater mussels, such as the zebra (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), and golden (Limnoperna fortunei) mussel have spread outside their native ranges throughout many regions of the North American, South American, and European continents in recent decades, damaging infrastructure and the environment. This review describes ongoing efforts by multiple groupsAuthorsVictor H. Hernandez Elizarraga, Scott Ballantyne, Lindsey Gengelbach, Juliana A. Americo, Steven T. Suhr, Marie-Claude Senut, Ben Minerich, Christopher M. Merkes, Thea Margaret Edwards, Katy E. Klymus, Catherine A. Richter, Diane L. Waller, Yale J. Passamaneck, Mauro de F. Rebelo, Daryl M. GohlMussel mass mortality in the Clinch River, USA: Metabolomics detects affected pathways and biomarkers of stress
Biologists monitoring freshwater mussel (order Unionida) populations rely on behavioral, often subjective, signs to identify moribund (“sick”) or stressed mussels, such as gaping valves and slow response to probing, and they lack clinical indicators to support a diagnosis. As part of a multi-year study to investigate causes of reoccurring mortality of pheasantshell (Ortmanniana pectorosa; synonymAuthorsJoel G. Putnam, John Steiner, Jordon Richard, Eric Leis, Tony Goldberg, Christopher D. Dunn, Rose Agbalog, Susan Knowles, Diane L. WallerOpen water dreissenid mussel control projects: Lessons learned from a retrospective analysis
Dreissenid mussels are one of the most problematic aquatic invasive species (AIS) in North America, causing substantial ecological and economic effects. To date, dreissenid mussel control efforts in open water have included physical, biological, and chemical methods. The feasibility of successful dreissenid mussel management or eradication in lakes is relatively undocumented in the freshwater manaAuthorsAngelique D. Dahlberg, Diane L. Waller, David Hammond, Keegan Lund, Nicholas B. D. PhelpsTargeted metabolomics characterizes metabolite occurrence and variability in stable freshwater mussel populations
Freshwater mussels (order Unionida) play a key role in freshwater systems as ecosystem engineers and indicators of aquatic ecosystem health. The fauna is globally imperilled due to a diversity of suspected factors; however, causes for many population declines and mortality events remain unconfirmed due partly to limited health assessment tools. Mussel-monitoring activities often rely on populationAuthorsDiane L. Waller, Joel Putnam, John Steiner, Brant Fisher, Grant N. Burcham, John W. Oliver, Stephen B. Smith, Richard A. Erickson, Anne Remek, Nancy BodekerA bacteriological comparison of the hemolymph from healthy and moribund unionid mussel populations in the upper Midwestern U.S.A. prompts the development of diagnostic assays to detect Yokenella regensburgei
Recent bacteriological investigations of freshwater mussel mortality events in the southeastern United States have identified a variety of bacteria and differences in bacterial communities between sick and healthy mussels. In particular, Yokenella regensburgei and Aeromonas spp. have been shown to be associated with moribund mussels, although it remains unclear whether these bacteria are causes orAuthorsEric Leis, Sara Dziki, Isaac Standish, Diane L. Waller, Jordan Richard, Jesse Weinzinger, Cleyo Harris, Susan Knowles, Tony GoldbergReview and development of best practices for toxicity tests with dreissenid mussels
Since their introduction to North America in the 1980s, research to develop effective control tools for invasive mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) has been ongoing across various research institutions using a range of testing methods. Inconsistencies in experimental methods and reporting present challenges for comparing data, repeating experiments, and applying results. TAuthorsDiane L. Waller, Sherri Pucherelli, Matthew Barbour, Samantha Tank, Matthew J Meulemans, Jeremy K. Wise, Angelique Dahlberg, David C. Aldridge, Renata Claudi, W. Gregory Cope, Patricia L. Gillis, Donna Kashian, Denise A. Mayer, Kelly A. Stockton-Fiti, Wai Hing WongFurther bacteriological analysis of annual Pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) mussel mortality events in the Clinch River (Virginia/Tennessee), USA, reveals a consistent association with Yokenella Regensburgei
Pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) mussels in the Clinch River (Tennessee/Virginia, USA) have declined dramatically in recent years. The bacterium Yokenella regensburgei was first isolated with high prevalence from Pheasantshells during the peak of a 2017 mortality event, but it was not identified after mortality subsided a few months later. Since 2017, Pheasantshell mortality in the Clinch RivAuthorsEric Leis, Sara Dziki, Jordan Richard, Rose Agbalog, Diane L. Waller, Joel G. Putnam, Susan Knowles, Tony GoldbergFreshwater mussels show elevated viral richness and intensity during a mortality event
Freshwater mussels (Unionida) are among the world’s most imperiled taxa, but the relationship between freshwater mussel mortality events and infectious disease is largely unstudied. We surveyed viromes of a widespread and abundant species (mucket, Actinonaias ligamentina; syn: Ortmanniana ligamentina) experiencing a mortality event of unknown etiology in the Huron River, Michigan, in 2019–2020 andAuthorsJordan Richard, Eric Leis, Christopher D. Dunn, Cleyo Harris, Rose Agbalog, Lewis J. Campbell, Susan Knowles, Diane L. Waller, Joel G. Putnam, Tony GoldbergA novel gonadotropic microsporidian parasite (Microsporidium clinchi n. sp.) infecting a declining population of pheasantshell mussels (Actinonaias pectorosa) (Unioinidae) from the Clinch River, USA
Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are among the most endangered animal groups globally, but the causes of their population decline are often enigmatic, with little known about the role of disease. In 2018, we collected wild adult pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) and mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina) during an epidemiologic survey investigating an ongoing mussel mass mortality event in tAuthorsSusan Knowles, Eric M. Leis, Jordan C. Richard, Rebecca A. Cole, Rose E. Agbalog, Joel G. Putnam, Tony L. Goldberg, Diane L. WallerUse of carbon dioxide to prevent zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) settlement and effects on native mussels (Order Unionoida) and benthic communities
We determined the efficacy of carbon dioxide (CO2) for preventing larval (veliger) settlement of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and compared the response of native juvenile mussels and macroinvertebrate and periphyton communities to hypercapnia. A microcosm system of control (ambient Camb) and CO2 treatments [low PCO2 (Clow)=35,094 µatm, and high PCO2 (Chigh)=66,685 µatm)] was suAuthorsDiane L. Waller, Lynn A. Bartsch, Michelle Bartsch, Matthew J Meulemans, Thomas J. Zolper, Todd J. SeversonMussel mass mortality and the microbiome: Evidence for shifts in the bacterial microbiome of a declining freshwater bivalve
Freshwater mussels (Unionida) are suffering mass mortality events worldwide, but the causes remain enigmatic. Here, we describe an analysis of bacterial loads, community structure, and inferred metabolic pathways in the hemolymph of pheasantshells (Actinonaias pectorosa) from the Clinch River, USA, during a multi-year mass mortality event. Bacterial loads were approximately 2 logs higher in moribuAuthorsJordan Richard, Lewis J. Campbell, Eric Leis, Rose Agbalog, Christopher D. Dunn, Diane L. Waller, Susan Knowles, Joel G. Putnam, Tony Goldberg - Software
Indiana mussel metabolomics data analysis
This repository contains code to cluster a sample of Mussels based up their metabolic levels via Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and distance based-Redundancy Analysis (db-RDA). Mussel sample is broken down and examined by catch location, sex, and species. The code for this project assumes the reader is familiar with R and clustering techniques.