Research Projects
These projects represent active areas of research and conservation aimed at improving our understanding of freshwater ecosystems and the species that depend on them.
Water Quality
Monitoring Network
Provides continuous, spatially distributed measurements of key environmental conditions across North Carolina’s freshwater systems to improve the survival, growth, reproduction, and long-term health of imperiled organisms reared at the YMACC and at reintroduction sites.
network
Field Deployment
Our network is built around a series of monitoring sites selected across the Tar and Neuse River Basins in North Carolina. These sites are monitored for environmental variables such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and other indicators of water quality. By capturing conditions across multiple locations and time points, the system provides a detailed picture of how freshwater habitats change seasonally and in response to environmental stressors.
Standard physicochemical parameters
Ecological and biological indicators
Stream morphological characteristics
Environmental insights
Lab Utility
Data collected through the monitoring network are used to support ongoing research on freshwater mussel and fish health, determine site augmentation potential, predict future population trends under various environmental scenarios, and guide targeted conservation efforts.
Mussel Health
Mussel health research focuses on understanding how physiology, immune function, and microbial communities interact to influence the condition and resilience of freshwater mussels.
Current reality
The Challenge
While the reasons for mussel declines are often visible or measurable, we also observe mass mortality events and declines that lack the clear explanations. Previously, declines could be attributed to dams, changes in water quality, or other stream degradation. Modern declines are more puzzling. We wonder if disease might be playing a role in addition to things like heat stress, malnutrition, and other toxicants. As filter feeders, mussels are constantly exposed to bacteria and viruses, of which we know there are many in aquatic systems, but we know very little about which may be pathogenic, opportunistic, or even potentially beneficial.
our response
What we are doing
We are working to develop a way to perform a health check-up on adult mussels without harming the mussel; especially those that are threatened or endangered. This suite of health indicators, or biomarkers, could help inform ways that we propagate mussels, where we choose to stock them, which mussels are healthy enough to reproduce, or predict where declines might start.
the science
How we are doing it
We’re focusing on the mussel immune system. Mussels have a very limited ability to learn after new exposures; they have no true adaptive immune system. We’re trying to learn how to look at their white blood cells they’re born with and what changes to those cells means for their susceptibility to disease. We’re also looking at their metabolism to find new biomarkers of health and the common bacteria that we find to see which ones are needed for a healthy immune system and which might be stressing the mussels.
native waters
Where we are doing it
Our focus is on four threatened or endangered species: the Tar Spinymussel, the Atlantic Pigtoe, the Yellow Lance, and the Dwarfwedge mussel. We are interested in those in the Tar and Neuse River basins that might be impacted by the I-540 bypass currently under construction around Raleigh. However, we’re also sampling mussels across the state of North Carolina to understand how geography, water quality, and taxonomy changes the associated bacteria. This might help us find species that can serve as surrogates for the mussels that are hard to find or might be more sensitive to health check-ups. Currently, most species in North Carolina at over 50 sites have been sampled.
the Folks
Who is involved
This research is funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. We’re grateful to biologists from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their help and expertise throughout the project from their advice to boots-on-the-ground sampling. Work has also been conducted at the NCWRC Conservation Aquaculture Center, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery, and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
Genetic Tagging
Parentage-based tagging uses genetic data to identify relationships among individuals, providing a powerful tool for tracking survival, reproduction, and population structure in freshwater species.
dna insight
Summary
This project centers around building a database of unique genetic markers called single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for Yellow Lance (Elliptio lanceolata) and Tar River Spinymussel (Parvaspina steinstanstana) hatchery broodstock. The database will be utilized to (1) monitor the success of hatchery stockings through genetic parentage-based tagging (PBT), and (2) assess genetic diversity metrics. This project will ultimately contribute knowledge and resources for future reintroductions and augmentations of these imperiled species, as well as provide insight on the benefits of using genetic tools in conservation.
In Vitro Optimization
In vitro propagation of freshwater mussels is another tool in the conservation toolbox. This work aims to optimize the process to enhance survival and fitness of juvenile mussels.
Serum Comparison
Each species is transformed with different combinations of serum using modified cell culture techniques to assess transformation success as well as survival and growth for the first two weeks of their lives in freshwater.
PURPOSE
Developmental Analysis
Thin sectioning accompanied the serum comparison to create an internal developmental guide of a healthy transforming mussel. Additionally, this information allows us to compare differential development amongst the sera trials.
Meet the species
The three species used in this research are the Brook Floater, the Chameleon Lampmussel, and the Yellow Lance. Pictured on the top row are their respective glochidial forms with the adults on the bottom. Images are not to scale.
Developmental Analysis
Microscopy images (pictured on top) can be compared to thin section image keys (bottom) created from this project to help biologists identify healthy, developing glochidia.
Did you know?
Freshwater mussels have host fish specificity – meaning that each species of mussel needs a certain species of host fish to successfully transform! Interestingly, this specificity is also seen in the lab during in vitro culture with mammalian serum.
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