Tag: mussels

Monitoring the mussels of the Kishwaukee River

Mussels are often referred to as “the livers of the rivers” because they filter materials from their environment. Freshwater mussels are also among the most imperiled groups of organisms in the world. The Kishwaukee River basin in northern Illinois remains one of the most mussel-rich resources in the state. In 2012, the Urban Biotic Assessment… Continue reading Monitoring the mussels of the Kishwaukee River

UBAP staff mentor intern from the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center (NGRREC) 2017 Intern Program

Members of the Illinois Natural History Survey’s Urban Biotic Assessment Program hosted and advised an intern from the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center (NGRREC) 2017 Intern Program this summer. The intern worked on mapping the spread, determining geometric morphometrics, and genetics of a novel invasive species in the Corbicula genus. They attended the… Continue reading UBAP staff mentor intern from the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center (NGRREC) 2017 Intern Program

Team discovers a new invasive clam in the U.S.

A new species or “form” of Asian clam was discovered in the Illinois River by Jeremy Tiemann and Sarah Douglass. The discovery, confirmed by genetics, means a new invasive clam has made its official debut in North America, joining the countless other aquatic invasive species now found in our waters. Read the Illinois News Bureau… Continue reading Team discovers a new invasive clam in the U.S.

Most mussels survive relocation

mussel foot

In a three-year study, aquatic ecologist Jeremy Tiemann and colleagues at the Illinois Natural History Survey, a division of PRI, relocated 100 mussels upriver during a reconstruction project on the Interstate 90 bridge over the Kishwaukee River in northern Illinois. “Our data suggest that short-distance relocation is a viable tool for mussel conservation,” Tiemann said.… Continue reading Most mussels survive relocation