Science!
The Great 2024 Mussel Hunt
https://www.hrwc.org/the-great-2024-mussel-hunt-newsletter-version/
UMich Master's Thesis
Citizen Science Monitoring of Freshwater Mussels (Unionidae) in the Huron River Watershed, Michigan
Abstract:
Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are a widely diverse group that serve significant roles in aquatic ecosystems. The ecosystem roles of unionids include filtering algae and nutrients from water, providing habitat for aquatic macroinvertebrates, and providing food for predators such as muskrats and raccoons; because of their sensitivity to pollution they act as water quality indicators. However, populations of unionids are severely imperiled and their distribution and abundance have been greatly reduced, especially in Michigan where 18 of our 43 unionid species are state protected and six of which are federally protected. This decline is primarily due to threats such as river impoundment, overharvesting, the spread of exotic species, and pollution. A collaboration was developed with the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) to design a citizen science monitoring program using volunteers to assess the distribution and abundance of mussels across the Huron River watershed. The program design includes survey protocols, educational materials, and state and federal recommendations and regulations for HRWC to conduct their monitoring program. Through the implementation of this project, HRWC will be able to protect native mussels by identifying where native mussels are located and where they might need support from the organization’s other restoration initiatives. Involving the public in this program will spread awareness for freshwater mussels to garner more support for conservation and will improve community relationships with the river by teaching people about the river’s ecology and the connections to society. This project aims to be an ecologically and socially beneficial program that will enhance the lives of humans and other animals in the Huron River Watershed.
Link to read thesis:
https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/7086
Field Guide to the Freshwater Mussels of the Huron River Watershed, Michigan.pdfHuron River Freshwater Mussels Field Guide
During an internship with the Huron River Watershed Council, I developed a species identification key field guide for mussel species found in the Huron River watershed. The guide presents important morphological features to look for alongside illustrations of each species.
3D Models of Freshwater Mussels
To aid in species identification since physical specimens of mussels can be difficult to acquire, I collaborated with the art gallery CultureVerse to develop a set of 3D models for the common and special concern species of freshwater mussels that are found in the Huron River. The scans were created using museum mussel specimens from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 3D prints were also developed with CultureVerse, which I then hand painted myself.
Mural of Freshwater Mussel Reproductive Cycle
Mural of unionid life history and reproductive strategy made for my graduate master's thesis. The mussel species depicted is the plain pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium) with a bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) as its fish host.
The image shows the reproductive cycle from left to right as the bluegill swims upstream. At the very left a male pocketbook is shown releasing its sperm as it is carried downstream to a nearby female. This sperm enters the female pocketbook and fertilizes its eggs. Continuing to the right, the female mussel is then shown displaying its lure in the shape of a blue fish to attract a bluegill to use as its fish host. The bluegill is attracted to the lure and the female is depicted releasing its glochidia larvae to attach to the gills of the bluegill. The bluegill continues swimming upstream to the right until a larval pocketbook is shown dropping off of the bluegill fish host, to then burrow into the sediment and develop into an adult pocketbook.
Fieldwork
Me carrying a drip torch during a controlled burn in the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum for my Restoration Ecology class!
Undergraduate Senior Thesis
Presentation of my undergraduate senior thesis project for my B.S. in Marine and Environmental Science at Hampton University.