Extension
Search
Quick Links
- Auburn Online Community
- Bookstore
- Crisis/Incident Assistance
- Diversity and Multicultural Affairs
- Emergency Preparedness
- Financial Aid
- Hotel and Conference Center
- Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
- Medical Clinic
- Photographic Services
- Scholarships
- Southeastern Raptor Center
- Students w/ Disabilities
- Theatre
AU Home
News Release - 07/24/1995
Researchers "Musseling" in on Water Quality Problems
AUBURN, ALA. - Threats to our water supply can come from many fronts, making the mission of protecting our water supplies seem almost impossible. Auburn University scientists, however, have accepted that mission and are "musselling" in on the enemies of water quality.
Jack Feminella, assistant professor of zoology and wildlife science at Auburn, is heading an Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES)-sponsored study that tests the use of freshwater mussels to identify the sources of non-point source pollution in Alabama's rivers and streams.
Feminella explained that some sources of water pollution are easy to spot, such as waste being piped directly into waterways. However, there are many inconspicuous, but equally important, sources of water pollution, including chemicals from agricultural and urban runoff or sediment from cultivation, forestry practices and construction areas.
Scientists know that these and many other unseen pollutants degrade water quality, but they are unsure which ones are the most detrimental and exactly how they impact the ecology of streams and waterways. They also know that mussels, which feed by filtering water through their bodies, are sensitive to water quality problems.
"Alabama boasts the highest diversity of the unionid mussel family in the United States," Feminella said. Mussels also are economically important to Alabama. Shells of some Alabama mussels are exported to Japan for use as pearl-seeding material in the cultured pearl industry.
"Mussels once were abundant in Alabama streams and waterways; however, now more than 120 species (out of more than 250 species) are endangered, threatened or are of special concern," he said.
"There may be many reasons for the demise of mussels in Alabama, including runoff of chemicals and sediment, low oxygen levels in the water because of high nutrients (fertilizers) in the water supply, the loss of their fish hosts, the damming of rivers and streams and other factors," Feminella continued.
According to Feminella, mussels can serve as sentinels, or "canaries in the mine," for water quality problems. These animals offer an excellent opportunity for scientists to rapidly monitor the effects of water quality problems on animal life.
"Freshwater mussels can live up to 60 years of age, though most live less than 20 years, and each year of their lives they form rings of growth on their shells," he said. "Historically, the age of mussels has been determined by counting those rings, much the same way trees can be aged by counting their growth rings."
Those growth rings actually represent many tiny bands of growth, called "microgrowth," which may be formed on a daily basis. By polishing a thin slice of mussel shell, scientists can view those microgrowth bands through a microscope and estimate growth patterns over extremely short intervals.
"In marine clams, these microgrowth bands seem to be laid down in association with tides and also in response to other environmental factors, such as coastal pollution," he said. "We think these microgrowth bands may be a good measure of monitoring the health of freshwater mussels under different water quality conditions in streams."
The first step of the AAES study, which also will help scientists further document the mussel microgrowth, is to verify that this monitoring system can work. To do this, Feminella and graduate student Chuck Howard are placing caged mussels (a species that is not endangered) into tributaries of the Tennessee River for six- to eight-week intervals. While the mussels are in the river, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is monitoring about 25 water quality parameters. This testing is being done during winter, spring and summer to determine how mussels grow during different seasons.
At the end of each test period, the mussel shells are examined to see if and when growth occurred. The scientists hope to link these growth patterns with fluctuations in water quality based on the USGS data. If growth slows or stops when certain water quality problems arise, this may help identify which pollutants are most harmful to mussels. By demonstrating this with mussels, useful predictions of effects on other animal and plant species living in streams and rivers may be possible.
Once the field data are collected and growth patterns are established, the scientists will then move into the laboratory, where they can duplicate specific water quality problems on a case-by-case basis in a controlled environment.
This research ultimately could help protect an important native Alabama animal and also help protect one of the state's most valuable resources - our water supply. In addition, this information could be used by agriculture, industry, science and other disciplines to target specific water quality problems.
-30-
News from:
Office of Ag Communications & Marketing
Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)
Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu
Agricultural Communications and Marketing | College of Agriculture | Auburn University, Alabama 36849 | Phone: (334) 844-4877
E-mail:
© Copyright Regulations