Science Nation: Threats to Freshwater Mussels and the Consequences for Ecosystems

People gathered around two troughs filled with water. One person is reaching into the water and two others are handling a small object. Caption: studies mussels' role in their environment.

Freshwater mussel species are critical to river ecosystems. But, many species are in trouble. Nearly 70% of freshwater mussel species are considered threatened in some way, according to zoologist Caryn Vaughn at the University of Oklahoma. With support from the National Science Foundation, Vaughn studies the role mussels play in freshwater ecosystems. They work hard filtering impurities from the water. The major problem for freshwater mussels now is habitat fragmentation and channelization by dams.

(Source: DCMP)

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  • Science Nation: Threats to Freshwater Mussels and the Consequences for Ecosystems

    Type:
    Video
    Format:
    Streaming
    Accommodations:
    English Audio Descriptions - Visual, English Captions - Auditory
    Languages:
    English
    License:
    OER
    Author:
    National Science Foundation
    Length:
    3 minutes