As part of the Mentored Undergraduate Summer Experience (MUSE) at The College of New Jersey, Professor Curt Elderkin will be mentoring two rising seniors in the field of conservation genetics (Zach Goldstein & Cara Zetterstrom). Together we will identify mussels and properly take tissue samples to bring back to the TCNJ laboratory for genetic analysis.
Purpose:
Knowledge of the genetic structure of the target species is essential for the development of effective conservation plans. Throughout the summer, we will be collecting samples from Elliptio camplanata in areas including the Susquehanna watershed, Canada, New York, Maine, and possibly North Carolina. In addition to these trips, we will be visiting a museum in Philadelphia in order to become more familiar with the shell anatomy of Elliptio camplanata, and other common Atlantic slope species, to aid us in our field identification of freshwater mussels.
Background:
Unionids are a family of bivalve mollusks known as river mussels found throughout habitats around the world, with 297 recognized taxa in North America alone. Often comprising upwards of 90% of the benthic invertebrate biomass, Unionids subsist as filter feeders by burrowing a muscular anterior foot in the substrate of the benthos and leaving their posterior end slightly exposed. Although relatively immobile as adults, Unionids are motile as juveniles and often attach themselves to hosts such as the yellow perch, banded killifish, and largemouth bass.
The Unionid genus Elliptio is a medium-sized mussel so named for its oval shape. The Eastern Elliptio occurs along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida. It is found in virtually every water body in Maine that is capable of supporting mussels. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including small streams, large rivers, freshwater tidal waters, and all types of ponds and lakes. Despite their dominance of benthic biomass, over 70% of North American freshwater mussel species are listed as threatened or endangered.
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