USGS National Vision for Native Freshwater Mussel Research: Completing a Bureau-wide Ecosystems Mission Area-led Science Strategy
USGS is collaborating with partners to develop a scientific vision for freshwater Mussel research.
The Science Issue and Relevance: The USGS has been, and continues to be, a leader in freshwater mussel research. Although USGS is uniquely suited to address the broad scale multidisciplinary research needed to conserve mussels, USGS has experienced significant attrition of scientists with mussel expertise over the past 20 years. However, the breadth of the USGS expertise on mussels can be leveraged internally across multiple USGS mission and program areas and externally across research partners. Given the breadth and scope of the issues facing mussels across the U.S., the research themes outlined in this strategic vision can only be accomplished through extensive collaborations between USGS and the full spectrum of natural resource partners, including other Federal and state agencies, tribal organizations, universities, industry, and non-governmental organizations.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: Development of this strategic vision will help USGS make the best use of our scientific expertise and capabilities to achieve our scientific vision for freshwater mussel research. Moreover, this vision offers a roadmap toward innovation and success by advancing technologies and enhancing collaborations to improve conservation of imperiled mussels. Over the past three decades, there has been substantial research on mussels in the U.S. For example, we know much more about distribution patterns, taxonomy and systematics, sensitivities to environmental contaminants, and how to captively propagate certain species. However, there are still substantial information gaps that limit conservation efforts.
The following data and information gaps were used to inform this vision:
- Identify the factors contributing to recent declines in mussel populations across many ecosystems
- Obtain reliable information on distribution, taxonomy, and life history for many species, including information on hosts
- Obtain and synthesize information on the status and trends of mussel communities
- Assess the effects of emerging stressors, such as environmental contaminants and climate change, on mussels, and their hosts and habitats
- Understand how current management practices for water quality and water quantity affect mussels and their habitats
- Understand how habitat restoration projects can be designed to simultaneously benefit mussels and other species, such as fish and aquatic arthropods
- Identify the demographic, physiological, and genetic characteristics that influence long-term population viability
- Understand when habitats are rehabilitated and suitable for reestablishment of mussels
- Evaluate the effects of water withdrawals on mussel populations, such as those from agriculture, urban development, and energy development
Future Steps: The USGS is the one of the Nation’s leading natural science and information agencies. Its workforce of nearly 9,000 scientists and support staff, distributed across about 400 locations, helps make the USGS uniquely suited to address broad scale multidisciplinary research at scales ranging from microscopic to global. Through its multidisciplinary focus (across five mission areas and 23 major programs) and current management and synthesis of large hydrological and biological datasets, the USGS is programmatically aligned for mussel research. The USGS also provides hands-on training into cutting-edge research across 17 biological science centers nationwide. The breadth of the USGS expertise on mussels can be leveraged with existing USGS colleagues who have related expertise (i.e., wildlife health, environmental contaminants, hydrology) to expand our existing program with modest effort. USGS scientists have been in the forefront of studying mussel life history traits, assessing potential causes for their decline, developing genetic tools to assess conservation status and taxonomy, and monitoring the effects of a changing environment on individuals, populations, and communities. However, given the breadth and scope of the issues facing mussels, the focal research themes outlined in this plan can only be accomplished in close collaboration with colleagues from other Federal and non-federal agencies and organizations.
USGS is collaborating with partners to develop a scientific vision for freshwater Mussel research.
The Science Issue and Relevance: The USGS has been, and continues to be, a leader in freshwater mussel research. Although USGS is uniquely suited to address the broad scale multidisciplinary research needed to conserve mussels, USGS has experienced significant attrition of scientists with mussel expertise over the past 20 years. However, the breadth of the USGS expertise on mussels can be leveraged internally across multiple USGS mission and program areas and externally across research partners. Given the breadth and scope of the issues facing mussels across the U.S., the research themes outlined in this strategic vision can only be accomplished through extensive collaborations between USGS and the full spectrum of natural resource partners, including other Federal and state agencies, tribal organizations, universities, industry, and non-governmental organizations.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: Development of this strategic vision will help USGS make the best use of our scientific expertise and capabilities to achieve our scientific vision for freshwater mussel research. Moreover, this vision offers a roadmap toward innovation and success by advancing technologies and enhancing collaborations to improve conservation of imperiled mussels. Over the past three decades, there has been substantial research on mussels in the U.S. For example, we know much more about distribution patterns, taxonomy and systematics, sensitivities to environmental contaminants, and how to captively propagate certain species. However, there are still substantial information gaps that limit conservation efforts.
The following data and information gaps were used to inform this vision:
- Identify the factors contributing to recent declines in mussel populations across many ecosystems
- Obtain reliable information on distribution, taxonomy, and life history for many species, including information on hosts
- Obtain and synthesize information on the status and trends of mussel communities
- Assess the effects of emerging stressors, such as environmental contaminants and climate change, on mussels, and their hosts and habitats
- Understand how current management practices for water quality and water quantity affect mussels and their habitats
- Understand how habitat restoration projects can be designed to simultaneously benefit mussels and other species, such as fish and aquatic arthropods
- Identify the demographic, physiological, and genetic characteristics that influence long-term population viability
- Understand when habitats are rehabilitated and suitable for reestablishment of mussels
- Evaluate the effects of water withdrawals on mussel populations, such as those from agriculture, urban development, and energy development
Future Steps: The USGS is the one of the Nation’s leading natural science and information agencies. Its workforce of nearly 9,000 scientists and support staff, distributed across about 400 locations, helps make the USGS uniquely suited to address broad scale multidisciplinary research at scales ranging from microscopic to global. Through its multidisciplinary focus (across five mission areas and 23 major programs) and current management and synthesis of large hydrological and biological datasets, the USGS is programmatically aligned for mussel research. The USGS also provides hands-on training into cutting-edge research across 17 biological science centers nationwide. The breadth of the USGS expertise on mussels can be leveraged with existing USGS colleagues who have related expertise (i.e., wildlife health, environmental contaminants, hydrology) to expand our existing program with modest effort. USGS scientists have been in the forefront of studying mussel life history traits, assessing potential causes for their decline, developing genetic tools to assess conservation status and taxonomy, and monitoring the effects of a changing environment on individuals, populations, and communities. However, given the breadth and scope of the issues facing mussels, the focal research themes outlined in this plan can only be accomplished in close collaboration with colleagues from other Federal and non-federal agencies and organizations.