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Since 2018, a collaborative initiative involving the Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery, the Arkansas Ecological Service Field Office, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been dedicated to conserving the endangered speckled pocketbook mussel, which is found exclusively in select tributaries of the upper Little Red River in Arkansas. The project's primary goal is to restore the mussel population and improve the overall health of the mussel community within the watershed.
To facilitate this, mussels are cultured in cages suspended in Greers Ferry Lake during the spring. The lake provides a natural food source for the developing mussels, allowing this culture method to be less labor-intensive and more cost-effective than traditional laboratory-based mussel culture.
The Arkansas Ecological Service Field Office and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission contribute vital technical expertise and provide species-specific host fish for speckled pocketbook culture, while the hatchery supplies essential equipment, including floating racks and rearing cages. Since the project's launch, approximately 2,700 cage-cultured speckled pocketbook mussels have been produced and successfully reintroduced into their native habitats, showcasing the effectiveness of this collaborative conservation approach.
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