Teresa J Newton, PhD
Teresa Newton holds a B.S. in Biology from Central Michigan University, and M.S. in Biology from Tennessee Technological University, and a PhD in Fisheries Biology and Toxicology from Iowa State University
Teresa's research interests focus on the conservation and ecology of freshwater mussels, a group of benthic animals in which 70% of the North American species are threatened. Mussels are keystone species in many rivers and their catastrophic decline may lead to the decline of other faunal groups and the alteration of ecosystem processes. Teresa uses a combination of comparative and experimental approaches to understand factors affecting the distribution and abundance of freshwater mussels and to determine the roles that mussels may play in large river food webs. Teresa also investigates the ecotoxicological effects of aquatic contaminants on freshwater mussels and is especially interested in developing sub-lethal endpoints of exposure. Teresa manages a native mussel team at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center in La Crosse, WI. The team's is currently focused on (1) understanding factors limiting the distribution, abundance, and species richness of mussels in large rivers, (2) using hydrophysical models to identify locations of patches and features of suitable habitat for mussels in the Upper Mississippi River, (3) measuring a suite of population vital rates (e.g., survival, growth. recruitment) to assess the viability of mussels within these patches, (4) developing sampling designs to estimate mussel abundances associated with habitat restoration projects, and (5) quantifying spatial patterns of adult and juvenile mussels across multiple scales in the Upper Mississippi River.
Science and Products
Modeling the Response of Freshwater Mussels to Changes in Water Temperature, Habitat, and Streamflow
Spatial patterns of native freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River
Annual variation in recruitment of freshwater mussels and its relationship with river discharge
Mortality, movement and behaviour of native mussels during a planned water-level drawdown in the Upper Mississippi River
Preliminary characterization of digestive enzymes in freshwater mussels
Effects of elevated water temperature on physiological responses in adult freshwater mussels
Evaluation of the short term 12 hour toxicity of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) to multiple life stages of Venustaconcha ellipsiformis and Epioblasma triquetra and its host fish (Percina caprodes)
Process, policy, and implementation of pool-wide drawdowns on the Upper Mississippi River: a promising approach for ecological restoration of large impounded rivers
Sensor data as a measure of native freshwater mussel impact on nitrate formation and food digestion in continuous-flow mesocosms
The effects of elevated water temperature on native juvenile mussels: implications for climate change
Water and sediment temperatures at mussel beds in the upper Mississippi River basin
Patterns in species richness and assemblage structure of native mussels in the Upper Mississippi River
Simulated effects of host fish distribution on juvenile unionid mussel dispersal in a large river
Science and Products
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Modeling the Response of Freshwater Mussels to Changes in Water Temperature, Habitat, and Streamflow
North American freshwater mussels are in serious decline as a result of pollution and habitat destruction from human activities. In addition, many mussel species are living in habitats that push the upper limits of their heat tolerance, which may become problematic as the climate and, as a result, water temperatures warm. As part of this project, we created a set of models to predict how freshwate - Data
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Spatial patterns of native freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River
Multiple physical and biological factors structure freshwater mussel communities in large rivers, and their distributions have been described as clumped or patchy. However, few surveys of mussel populations have been conducted over areas large enough and at resolutions fine enough to quantify spatial patterns in their distribution. We used global and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (i.AuthorsPatricia R. Ries, Nathan R. De Jager, Steven J. Zigler, Teresa NewtonAnnual variation in recruitment of freshwater mussels and its relationship with river discharge
Vital rates such as mortality, growth, and recruitment are important tools to evaluate the status of threatened populations and identify their vulnerabilities, leading to enhanced conservation strategies. Native freshwater mussels are a guild of largely sedentary, filter-feeding bivalves currently facing worldwide declines. Lack of recruitment has been identified as a major threat to mussel populAuthorsPatricia R. Ries, Teresa Newton, Roger J. Haro, Steven J. Zigler, Mike DavisMortality, movement and behaviour of native mussels during a planned water-level drawdown in the Upper Mississippi River
Managers in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) are using reductions in the River's water levels during summer to mimic historical water regimes and rehabilitate habitats for vegetation and other species. Concerns for the unintended effects of these actions on mussel populations threatened to halt these projects. Our objective was to characterise the survival and movement of two mussel species in tAuthorsTeresa J. Newton, Steven J. Zigler, Brian R. GrayPreliminary characterization of digestive enzymes in freshwater mussels
Resource managers lack an effective chemical tool to control the invasive zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha. Zebra mussels clog water intakes for hydroelectric companies, harm unionid mussel species, and are believed to be a reservoir of avian botulism. Little is known about the digestive physiology of zebra mussels and unionid mussels. The enzymatic profile of the digestive glands of zebra musselAuthorsBlake W. Sauey, Jon J. Amberg, Scott T. Cooper, Sandra K. Grunwald, Teresa J. Newton, Roger J. HaroEffects of elevated water temperature on physiological responses in adult freshwater mussels
Freshwater mussels (order Unionoida) face multiple environmental stressors, which pose serious conservation challenges to this diverse assemblage of aquatic invertebrates. Of these stressors, elevated water temperature from global climate change and other anthropogenic sources may be the most ubiquitous and could be placing many mussel populations dangerously close to their thermal maxima. We tesAuthorsAlissa M. Ganser, Teresa J. Newton, Roger J. HaroEvaluation of the short term 12 hour toxicity of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) to multiple life stages of Venustaconcha ellipsiformis and Epioblasma triquetra and its host fish (Percina caprodes)
The present study evaluated the risk of 12-h exposures of the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) to multiple life stages of the federally endangered snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra) and its primary host fish the common logperch (Percina caprodes) as well as a surrogate to the snuffbox, the ellipse (Venustaconcha ellipsiformis). Life stages examined included free glochidia, 1-wk juveniAuthorsMichael A. Boogaard, Teresa Newton, Terrance D. Hubert, Cheryl A. Kaye, M. Christopher BarnhartProcess, policy, and implementation of pool-wide drawdowns on the Upper Mississippi River: a promising approach for ecological restoration of large impounded rivers
The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) has been developed and subsequently managed for commercial navigation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The navigation pools created by a series of lock and dams initially provided a complex of aquatic habitats that supported a variety of fish and wildlife. However, biological productivity declined as the pools aged. The River Resources Forum, an advisoAuthorsKevin P. Kenow, Gretchen Benjamin, Tim Schlagenhaft, Ruth Nissen, Mary Stefanski, Gary Wege, Scott A. Jutila, Teresa J. NewtonSensor data as a measure of native freshwater mussel impact on nitrate formation and food digestion in continuous-flow mesocosms
Native freshwater mussels can influence the aquatic N cycle, but the mechanisms and magnitude of this effect are not fully understood. We assessed the effects of Amblema plicata and Lampsilis cardium on N transformations over 72 d in 4 continuous-flow mesocosms, with 2 replicates of 2 treatments (mesocosms with and without mussels), equipped with electronic water-chemistry sensors. We compared senAuthorsJeremy S. Bril, Jonathan J. Durst, Brion M. Hurley, Craig L. Just, Teresa J. NewtonThe effects of elevated water temperature on native juvenile mussels: implications for climate change
Native freshwater mussels are a diverse but imperiled fauna and may be especially sensitive to increasing water temperatures because many species already may be living near their upper thermal limits. We tested the hypothesis that elevated water temperatures (20, 25, 30, and 35°C) adversely affected the survival and physiology of 2-mo-old juvenile mussels (Lampsilis abrupta, Lampsilis siliquoidea,AuthorsAlissa M. Ganser, Teresa J. Newton, Roger J. HaroWater and sediment temperatures at mussel beds in the upper Mississippi River basin
Native freshwater mussels are in global decline and urgently need protection and conservation. Declines in the abundance and diversity of North American mussels have been attributed to human activities that cause pollution, waterquality degradation, and habitat destruction. Recent studies suggest that effects of climate change may also endanger native mussel assemblages, as many mussel species areAuthorsTeresa J. Newton, Jennifer Sauer, Byron KarnsPatterns in species richness and assemblage structure of native mussels in the Upper Mississippi River
1. To evaluate patterns in mussel assemblages in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), data from systematic surveys of mussels conducted in three large reaches (Navigation Pools 5, 6, and 18) from 2005–2007 were analysed. 2. Nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling analyses and permutation tests indicated that assemblages differed among reaches. The mussel assemblage in Pool 18 was substantially differentAuthorsSteven J. Zigler, Teresa J. Newton, Mike Davis, James T. RogalaSimulated effects of host fish distribution on juvenile unionid mussel dispersal in a large river
Larval mussels (Family Unionidae) are obligate parasites on fish, and after excystment from their host, as juveniles, they are transported with flow. We know relatively little about the mechanisms that affect dispersal and subsequent settlement of juvenile mussels in large rivers. We used a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of a reach of the Upper Mississippi River with stochastic Lagrangian paAuthorsJ.A. Daraio, L.J. Weber, S. J. Zigler, T.J. Newton, J.M. Nestler - Software