CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:00)
This is the third episode in a series on Virginia’s freshwater mussels. Previous episodes in the series are as follows:
Episode 432, 8/6/18 – Part 1: An Introduction to Mussel Biology and Population Status.
Episode 433, 8/13/18 – Part 2: Fish Hosts and Mussel Mimicry.
Transcript of audio, notes on the audio, images, and additional information follow below.
All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-17-18.
TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO
From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of August 20, 2018. This week’s episode is the third in a series on Virginia’s freshwater mussels and efforts to restore the populations of these important, filter-feeding components of aquatic environments.
SOUND – ~ 12 sec
That’s Jess Jones, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the director of Virginia Tech’s Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center, informally known as the Mussel Lab. We’re focusing this week on the operations used at the Mussel Lab to raise, or propagate, freshwater mussels.
The Mussel Lab follows a complicated, 12-to-18-month process involving mussel larvae, or glochidia; several fish species that serve as hosts for the glochidia; precisely filtered water; a food source of algae and bacteria; and a series of containers to hold and nourish mussel juveniles as they grow from microscopic size to about 20 millimeters, or about three-quarters of an inch. Those laboratory-raised mussels are then released into suitable habitats in Virginia rivers to help restore natural populations and help the recovery of species listed as endangered or threatened, either on the federal list or Virginia’s state list.
For a few more details on the Mussel Lab’s operations, have a listen for about 2 minutes to additional comments by Jess Jones, recorded at the lab in June 2018.
SOUND – ~2 min.
During the nearly 20 years since the Mussel Lab’s construction in 2000, innovation, experimentation, and practice have developed a successful operation for raising and releasing thousands of mussels annually into natural habitats. The fourth and last episode in this freshwater mussel series will examine the release phase of Virginia Tech’s mussel-restoration efforts.
SHIP’S BELL
Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624. Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode. In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.
AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The comments by Jess Jones heard in this episode were recorded June 4, 2018, at the Virginia Tech Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center in Blacksburg.
Click here if you’d like to listen to the full (18 min./43 sec.) presentation on freshwater mussels given by Jess Jones on January 13, 2017, to faculty, staff, and students of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. Thanks to Will Pfiel of that college for making a recording of that talk available to Virginia Water Radio.
Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode. More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com.
IMAGES
Mussel life cycle. Image from Louis A. Helfrich, Richard J. Neves, and Hilary Chapman, “Sustaining America's Aquatic Biodiversity—Freshwater Mussel Biodiversity and Conservation,” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 420-523, May 2009, online at https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/420/420-523/420-523.html.
Following are views from the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center in Blacksburg, Va., operated by the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation; all photos taken August 15, 2018.
Entrance to the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center.
Some of the containers for holding fish that serve as hosts for mussel larvae.
Fish-holding containers in left foreground and to the right, with juvenile mussel boxes in the left mid-ground.
Boxes where juvenile mussels are first placed; green hoses deliver oxygen, black hoses deliver water.
Pond that is the source of water for raising mussels at the Center.
View of the grow-out building, where juvenile mussels undergo their last phase of growth before being released into rivers.
EXTRA FACTS ABOUT FRESHWATER MUSSELS
Mussels, both those in freshwater and in marine environments, are classified in the phylum of mollusks. That large taxonomic group also includes snails, cockles and other clams, oysters, scallops, squid, and other organisms.
The following information on freshwater mussels is from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Freshwater Mussels,” online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/freshwater-mussels/.
“What is a freshwater mussel?
Freshwater mussels are mollusks and are similar to their marine clam and oyster cousins. They have two shells connected by a hinge-like ligament. Around the world, mussels live in a variety of freshwater habitats but are most prevalent in stream and rivers. They vary in their adult sizes from those as small as a thumbnail to others as big as a pie plate. The wide variety of shapes and colors are reflected in species like purple wartyback, pink heelsplitter, and threeridge. On the stream bottom, mussels are sometimes only noticeable by two small siphons, which are used to draw and expel water. When quickly dislodged, a large muscular foot that is used to move amongst the stream bottom can be readily seen.”
“How are mussels distributed?
“The diversity of freshwater mussels in the United States is unmatched. Of the estimated 1,000 species worldwide, the United States historically contained 304, about one-thrid of the total world’s fauna. …The lion’s share of this diversity is found in the southeastern drainages of the Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mobile rivers. One of the most diverse drainages, the Tennessee contains 102 species, nearly one-third of the country’s fauna! Virginia becomes part of the equation because the Tennessee River headwaters are within the southwestern region of the state. Virginia’s portion of the Tennessee River drainage includes the Powell, Clinch, and Forks of the Holston (North, Middle, and South) rivers….”
“How do mussels function in the environment?
Freshwater mussels are an essential component of our rivers and streams. By their siphoning actions, mussels filter bacteria, algae, and other small particles, which make them one of the few animals that improve water quality. Mussels also serve as a food source to many species of fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The outer shell of a live mussel is usually covered by aquatic insects, algae, and plants. Even when dead, the empty shell functions as a nesting site for small fish like madtoms and darters.”
“What are uses people have found for freshwater mussels?
People have a long history of benefiting from mussels. Native Americans used mussels as a ready food source, implements for tools, and as jewelry. Before the advent of plastics in the 1930’s, most buttons were made from freshwater mussels. Modern day buttons retain the luster of those found in earlier times. Today, freshwater mussels are a key ingredient in the pearl industry. Mussels are collected in several areas of the United States and their shells are sold to Asian markets. Their shells are used to make numerous round beads that are placed in oysters and serve as the nuclei for freshwater pearls.”
“How do mussels reproduce?
The life cycle of the freshwater mussel is one the most complex and interesting in the animal world. Unlike other animals that can actively search for a mate, the sedentary mussel depends on the river current to reproduce. The process begins with the male releasing sperm, and the female located downstream drawing it in through her incurrent siphon. Numbering in the 100’s to hundreds of thousands, the fertilized eggs develop into glochidia within her gills. Once mature, they are released into the water column to begin the second part of their lives-attaching to the gills, fins, or scales of freshwater fishes. At this point, the process is further complicated because not only do the glochidia have to find a fish, but it has to be one of a few specific fish species for the life cycle to continue. If a glochidium attaches to the correct fish species, it encysts into the fish’s tissue and undergoes a short life as a parasite. Over several weeks, it begins to develop gills, a foot, and other internal structures to become a juvenile mussel. The now fully transformed, but still microscopic, juvenile will drop off the fish and begin its life on the stream bottom.…”
SOURCES USED FOR AUDIO OR OFFERING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MUSSELS OR OTHER MOLLUSKS
Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society, online at https://molluskconservation.org/.
Robbie Harris, “Growing Mussels,” WVTF FM-Roanoke, Va., 1/7/14, 3 min. video with transcript, online at http://wvtf.org/post/growing-mussels.
Louis A. Helfrich, Richard J. Neves, and Hilary Chapman, “Sustaining America's Aquatic Biodiversity—Freshwater Mussel Biodiversity and Conservation,” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 420-523, May 2009, online at https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/420/420-523/420-523.html.
Jess W. Jones, “Freshwater Mussels of Virginia (Bivalvia: Unionidae): An Introduction to Their Life History, Status and Conservation,” Virginia Journal of Science, Vol. 66, No. 3, Fall 2015, pp. 309-331; archives available online at http://vacadsci.org/publications/va-journal-of-science/virginia-journal-of-science-archives/.
Jess W. Jones, et al., “Clinch River Freshwater Mussels Upstream of Norris Reservoir, Tennessee and Virginia: A Quantitative Assessment from 2004 to 2009,” Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Vol. 40, No. 4, August 2014; journal available online at https://www.awra.org (subscription required for back issues).
Kentucky Afield, “Fresh Water Endangered Mussels,” 8/13/13, 11 min./49 sec. video online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErYjjjqhX6I. This includes a tour of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ Center for Mollusk Conservation Research Lab in Frankfort.
Kentucky Educational Television, “Mussels of the Licking River,” 8/13/13, 7 min./3 sec. video, online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CneiYgGAcI.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Endangered Species Program, “Protecting Our Waters: The Mussels of Virginia’s Clinch and Powell Rivers,” by Meagan Racey, 12/27/12, online at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/map/ESA_success_stories/VA/VA_story2/index.html.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Maryland Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, “Freshwater Mussels” (2/18/16), online at https://www.fws.gov/northeast/marylandfisheries/Fish%20Facts/Freshwater%20mussels.html.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Midwest Region, “Endangered Species/America’s Mussels: Silent Sentinels,” online at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/clams/mussels.html.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program, online at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/nrda/index.html. See particularly “Protecting and Restoring the Powell River Watershed, Virginia,” December 2010 Fact Sheet, online (as PDF) at https://www.fws.gov/northeast/virginiafield/pdf/contaminants/20110120_final%20LMPI%20NRDAR%20fact%20sheet.pdf; and “Restoring the Clinch River Watershed, Tazewell County, Virginia,” November 2010 Fact Sheet, online (as PDF) at https://www.fws.gov/northeast/virginiafield/pdf/contaminants/20110120_final%20certus%20NRDAR%20fact%20sheet.pdf.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Northeast Ecological Services, “Giving Mussels a Boost in Tenn.’s Powell River,” 9/26/12, online at http://ne-ecological-services.blogspot.com/2012/09/giving-mussels-boost-in-tenns-powell.html. This site includes a 2 min./32 sec. video on a mussel release and discussion by Jess Jones, online at https://youtu.be/ADy5BNkmRh4.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Southeast Region, “Southeastern Mussels,” online at https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/mussels/. This site includes photos and descriptions of several mussel species found in Virginia and the southeastern United States.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center,” online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/awcc/.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries videos: “Freshwater Mussels,” 7/6/09, 4 min./31 sec., online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URHTrAAkpr0; “Endangered Mussels Released into the Clinch River, Largest Release in Eastern US,” 9/30/10, 2 min./36 sec., online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf0ZIoNnuiI [corresponds to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Endangered Species Program, “Protecting Our Waters: The Mussels of Virginia’s Clinch and Powell Rivers,” by Meagan Racey, 12/27/12, above]; and “Stocking Freshwater Mussels in Virginia’s Clinch River,” 10/28/16, 3 min./35 sec., online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wapu6ABfFSU&t=1s.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor. Mussel species are listed at this link.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Freshwater Mussels,” online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/freshwater-mussels/.
Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, Mussels released into Tennessee’s Powell River, CNRE News, 2/10/17.
Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center, online at https://www.fishwild.vt.edu/mussel/.
G. Thomas Watters et al., The Freshwater Mussels of Ohio, The Ohio State University Press, Columbus, 2009.
WLUC TV6—Negaunee, Michigan, “906 Outdoors-Discovering/Freshwater Mussels,” 7/30/18, 22 min./32 min. video online at http://www.906outdoors.com/906outdoors/videos/S311.html (the mussels segment is the first of two topics in the video).
RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES
All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html). See particularly the following subject categories: “Invertebrates Other Than Insects”; and “Rivers, Streams, and Other Surface Water.”
Following are links to some other episodes on the rivers in the Clinch River/Upper Tennessee River watershed.
Episode 420, 5/14/18 – Exploring Virginia’s Tennessee River Tributaries.
Episode 425, 6/18/18 – Introducing the South Fork Holston River.
Following are links to other episodes on mollusks.
Episode 262, 4/20/15 – Freshwater Snails.
Episode 279, 8/24/15 – Oysters, Nitrogen, and the Chesapeake Bay—Part 1.
Episode 280, 9/7/15 – Oysters, Nitrogen, and the Chesapeake Bay—Part 2.
FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION
This episode may help with the following Virginia 2010 Science SOLs.
Grades K-6 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic Theme
2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, and 6.1 – All include “Current applications to reinforce science concepts.”
Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
3.10 - impacts on survival of species.
4.9 - Va. natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.
6.9 - public policy decisions related to the environment.
Grades K-6 Life Processes Theme
K.7 - basic needs and processes of plants and animals.
1.5 - animals’ basic needs and distinguishing characteristics.
2.4 - life cycles.
3.4 - behavioral and physiological adaptations.
Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
2.5 - living things as part of a system, including habitats.
3.5 - food webs.
3.6 - ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources.
4.5 - ecosystem interactions and human influences on ecosystem.
5.5 - cell structures and functions, organism classification, and organism traits.
6.7 - natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Va. watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring.
Life Science Course
LS.1 – understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science, including current applications to reinforce science concepts.
LS.4 - organisms’ classification based on features.
LS.6 - ecosystem interactions, including the water cycle, other cycles, and energy flow.
LS.8 - community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships.
LS.9 - adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments.
LS.10 - changes over time in ecosystems, communities, and populations, and factors affecting those changes, including climate changes and catastrophic disturbances.
LS.11 - relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.
Earth Science Course
ES.8 - influences by geologic processes and the activities of humans on freshwater resources, including identification of groundwater and major watershed systems in Virginia.
Biology Course
BIO.1 – current applications to reinforce science concepts.
BIO.8 - dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems.
The episode may also help with the following Virginia 2015 Social Studies SOLs:
Civics and Economics Course
CE.6 – government at the national level.
CE.7 – government at the state level.
CE.10 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.
World Geography Course
WG.2 - how selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth’s surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it.
Government Course
GOVT.7 – national government organization and powers.
GOVT.8 – state and local government organization and powers.
GOVT.9 – public policy process at local, state, and national levels.
Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.
Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels.
Episode 250 (1-26-15) – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Episode 255 (3-2-15) – on density, for 5th and 6th grade.
Episode 282 (9-21-15) – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten;
Episode 309 (3-28-16) – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade.
Episode 332 (9-12-16) – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade.
Episode 403 (1-15-18) – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Episode 404 (1-22-18) – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade.
Episode 406 (2-5-18) – on ice on rivers, for middle school.
Episode 407 (2-12-19) – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.
