Monitoring & Education
Freshwater mussel monitoring: finding hidden, imperiled species
September 13, 2026 · 5 min read
North America holds the world's greatest diversity of freshwater mussels — and many are imperiled.
Why they matter
Mussels filter water, stabilize sediment, and depend on host fish to reproduce, linking them to the whole aquatic community.
Why they are hard to find
They bury in sediment and live at low densities; traditional surveys require trained divers or snorkelers.
eDNA approach
Water samples downstream of beds can detect native species and invasive zebra or quagga mussels in the same analysis.