JRBP MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT
GENERAL INFO
Event Host: James River Basin Partnership
Official Facebook Event
Place: Online Zoom Meeting
Date: Thursday, March 17, 2022
Time: 7:00-8:00 pm
Admission: FREE to JRBP Members
Pre-Registration: Required; register here.
THE DETAILS
Although they are little known to most people, over 250 species of mussels live in North American rivers, and they frequently outweigh all the other benthic species combined. Mussels form an important link in the aquatic food chain by filtering plankton and detritus from the water. While some species remain abundant, many others are endangered and their protected status drives water quality criteria and conservation actions. Mussels are incredible examples of evolutionary adaptation, angling with elaborate lures and baits to attract fish that carry their parasitic larvae upstream. Dr. Chris Barnhart of Missouri State University will provide an overview of mussel biology and conservation significance, highlighting local species, some of which occur nowhere else.
