MADISON, WI (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Something is killing freshwater mussels in the United States. It's a trend researchers say could impact water quality and ecosystems around the country.
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have partnered with researchers at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Wisconsin and Virginia as well as the U.S. Geologic Survey in Wisconsin to research what could be killing the mussels.
“Some of these declines are because of long-term trends and habitat loss and climate chance, but some of these declines are really sudden and we're seeing mussel species and populations disappear at alarming rates,” said Tony Goldberg, a professor at UW-Madison and associate director for research at the UW Global Health Institute.
The group of researchers think some of it is because of viruses or diseases killing some of the mussels.
These aren't the invasive one's like zebra or quagga mussels, these are native to North American waters and help filter for wildlife and humans.
“If we lose mussels it could mean long-term water quality issues for Wisconsin,” Goldberg said.
Jordan Richard, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife endangered species biologist in Virginia is one of the researchers working with Goldberg. He says freshwater mussels are like the foundation to a house.
“When you don’t care about mussels, you don’t care about them in the same way you don’t care about the foundation of your house,” Richard told UW-Madison in an article about the research. “By the time you notice, termites or water damage may have completely destroyed it. You might notice it and fix it in time, or you might notice it because one day you’re walking along and fall through the floor, and it’s way too late to start caring. Mussels are a foundation of the ecosystem.”
Goldberg agrees, saying if the trend of losing mussels continues unchecked it could have drastic consequences.
“If we lose mussels the ecosystem that they support could easily collapse,” Goldberg said.
It's daunting, but Goldberg says there's have an advantage to be had in dealing with the problem.
“We have the technologies and the expertise now and that's also new,” Goldberg said. “So the die-offs are happening that's new now we're also finally in a position I think where we might be able to do something.”
If the team of researchers can find out exactly what is killing the mussels, they may be able to find treatments to save them.
Wisconsin is seeing a slower die-off than the rest of North America, but that doesn't mean the state is immune to it.
“Given the history of wildlife disease in the united states we can pretty much expect that stuff going on elsewhere is going to come here, the advantage we have is we can see it coming,” Goldberg said.
Goldberg said there is a limited amount of resources into monitoring mussels in Wisconsin. He asks people around the state to help out by being eyes and ears for them. He encourages people to contact the Department of Natural Resources if they see freshwater mussels dead under water or floating in the water.
Earlier this year the United Nations released a report claiming that one million species around the world were in danger of extinction. Several freshwater mussel species are considered to be included in that.