Posted on 12/18/2019 9:03:33 AM PST by Rebelbase
Abingdon - The crystal -clear waters of the Clinch River, which meanders southwest across the Virginia-Tennessee border, look clean and healthy. But a mysterious die-off of freshwater mussels in the river has scientists scrambling to find the cause.
{snip}Since 2016, though, the Clinch River has seen 10 of its 56 species of mussels have gone extinct with another 20 species now considered endangered - like the fluted kidneyshell, snuffbox, birdwing pearly mussel, and the shiny pigtoe.
The pheasantshell mussel, once one of the Clinch’s most abundant mussel species, has plummeted by more than 90 percent, from a population estimated to be 94,000 in 2015 to less than 14,000 today. The rest of the various mussel populations have dropped 30 percent, leaving the Clinch River with the highest concentration of endangered aquatic species on the continent,
Die-off is not an isolated problem
The Clinch River mussel die-off is not an isolated incident. Throughout the U.. and Europe, staggering numbers of freshwater mussels are dying off. There have been attempts to figure out the cause, and everything from infectious diseases and climate change to water pollution has been explored.
(Excerpt) Read more at digitaljournal.com ...
I wonder if there was an introduction of competitive non-native species.
Hopefully this will spread to Tiger mussels.
But just like every other attempt by man to control nature, the 'cure' would probably be worse than the disease.
Species unable to adjust to changing environment will suffer the consequences. It’s called evolution.
Norris Lake headwaters (Clinch River) are being destroyed by Zebra Mussels
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_mussel
Now in bloom/bust cycle
I don't know what harm it may have done to sport fishing or other parts of the Great Lakes ecology - but as far as swimming and boating is concerned, the introduction of Zebra mussels has made the waters of Lake Erie and Ontario crystal clear. Its really quite a change.
Unfortunately, they coat the hulls of boats, clog water intakes, destroy water pumps, and generally wreck havoc on marine hardware
The water is so clear because the algae has died off. The algae has died off because the Zebra mussel has lowered the oxygen level of the water. The lowered oxygen level also adversely affects the fish.
Probably some kind of fish was released and is eating them.
Shellcrackers (redear sunfish), bullheads, and all catfish will gobble up mussels like candy.
It's always Russia and Ukraine.
It was a virus. Only affected one specie.
Biggest mystery since the unexplained mass sponge migration.
Hmmmmm, now what could possibly have caused it, if it's in the Ukraine, gee I wonder if they had any nuclear plants in the area?
Those zebra mussels everyone is so worried about didn’t just decide to crawl across the land to plop themselves into the next body of water.
Wonder if these non-native mussels are edible.
The mussels clog the utility's two massive water intake pipelines, and if not routinely treated, they could disrupt the flow of 390 million gallons of water a day to the Las Vegas area. The water system spends about $1 million a year to manage the problem.
The great show "Life After People" showed the water flow into the dam eventually shutting down "after people" due to zebra mussels.
Hungry CSA soldiers would not eat those rubbery things.....
“The algae has died off because the Zebra mussel has lowered the oxygen level of the water.”
Nope. The oxygen level gets lower by the algae dying, the mussels eat the algae and make the water clear.
Young fish also eat algae and too many mussels mean very few fish can survive.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.