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The next time you relish the clear, clean water of a rippling stream, you can thank a mussel. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognize the special role our freshwater-filtering friends have in keeping the environment healthy for all variety of species � including us humans. That’s why it’s such a concern that 300 species of freshwater mussels are the most vulnerable group of animals in North America.
We are responding to the clear message the “livers of our rivers� are sending. Our agency has been cultivating a trifecta of expertise in mussel restoration for the last 25 years, combining specialties in aquatic species conservation, endangered species recovery and habitat restoration. Mussel restoration is a new field compared to the more well-known work of our agency, such as fish stocking, migratory bird conservation and public lands protection, which have been major programs for more than a century.
“We know all about how to raise fish because we’ve been doing it for 150 years, but mussel production is more than a hundred years behind that,� explained Nathan Eckert, assistant manager of Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Missouri. “It wasn’t even until the 1800s that we learned that mussel larvae were actually larvae and not a harmful parasite, and we’re still learning the host species for some mussels today.� This misunderstanding occurred because most mussels attach to the gills of a host fish in their early life stage.
For centuries, mussels were sustainably harvested by Native Americans, providing food, shells for tools and pearls for ornamentation. Around the turn of the 20th century, new commercial demands, including button production, upended that careful balance. Land use practices that dramatically altered and polluted our waterways, along with the introduction of invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species , further decimated freshwater mussels and their hosts.
“Even though our agency’s mussel program is relatively new, it showcases some of the best cross-program, cross-regional and intergovernmental partnerships we have,� Eckert said. It was the opportunity to work in multiple geographies that lured Eckert to Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Wisconsin more than 15 years ago. He was among the first U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees hired specifically for full-time mussel propagation work. Now Megan Bradley is leading these efforts at Genoa. Eckert and Bradley make it a priority to mentor others, lead training courses at the National Conservation Training Center and serve in leadership roles in the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society, a networking organization founded in 1992.
Mussel life-cycle characteristics are among Mother Nature’s quirkiest, inspiring a fervent fellowship among mussel biologists. “Humans have always been fascinated by things we don’t understand,� said Bradley, “and there’s so much about mussels that remain a mystery to this day because we haven’t explored the riverbeds anywhere near as much as our landscapes.� Curiosity is what drives Bradley’s mussel mission and compels her to share her enthusiasm with her colleagues and community alike. “Curiosity is a powerful tool for connecting people to the environment,� she added.
Today, the agency’s mussel restoration work extends from coast to coast. Genoa and Neosho hatcheries are working with several state, federal and Tribal fish hatcheries to share expertise and collaborate on restoration, including partners as far away as South Carolina and Oklahoma.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was another catalyst for this emergent field, with 21 mussel species listed upon its passage, stimulating further research into the status of other mussels. Now there are more than 90 freshwater mussels listed under the Endangered Species Act, most in the Southeast.
“Once we knew more about their status, our focus turned to finding ways to recover freshwater mussels,� said Tam Smith, biologist with the agency’s endangered species recovery program. “Our collaboration is creating the recipe for recovery: identifying what mussel species most need, propagating them for reintroduction and restoring habitat and host species.�
Loss of habitat is the most common threat to endangered species, making habitat restoration a crucial part of so many recovery success stories. In the midwest, experts from five fish and wildlife conservation offices help ensure we have suitable habitats for mussel reintroductions and improve occupied habitats so existing populations of mussels and their host species can expand. This work often involves reducing sedimentation or making water structure structure
Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head.
Learn more about structure changes that improve river flow.
Because mussels are particularly sensitive to point-source pollution, environmental cleanup is another important component of habitat restoration. In 1980, legislation commonly known as Superfund set up programs that basically create a “polluter pays� model for restoring species and habitats. “Environmental remediation has been a boon for aquatic species at certain locations, such as train derailment or chemical spill sites,� said Aleshia Kenney, environmental contaminants specialist.
The most recent influence on the growth of our mussel restoration program is the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, an investment strategy begun in 2010 to target the most significant regional threats and accelerate environmental protection and restoration. Mussels benefit both directly and indirectly from countless projects funded by this initiative, including those focused on watershed restoration, fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.
Learn more about fish passage and cleaning up toxic hotspots known as Areas of Concern.
These pioneering efforts and partnerships are beginning to restore freshwater mussels� rightful place in the watery web of life that supports a healthy environment for us all.
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