High suspended solids as a factor in reproductive failure of a freshwater mussel

Landis, Andrew M. Gascho; Haag, Wendell R.; Stoeckel, James A.

doi:10.1899/12-093.1

Cited by 42 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Although physiological assays (e.g., scope for growth) were not performed in the present study, so direct cause cannot be ascertained, these two exceptions, which both resulted in decreased index values, were likely the result of two different factors. Considering the consistency of the condition index values observed in all deployed mussels, except those in the immediate downstream location while dredging was occurring, it is plausible that the decreases observed may be linked to changes in environmental factors associated with the dredging operations, such as decreased feeding ability and/or decreased food availability Saurel et al 2013;Aldridge et al 1987;Osterling et al 2007;Gascho Landis et al 2012;Henley et al 2000). Decreases in lab-reference index values, however, were most likely due to inherent water parameter differences between mussels deployed in the Tennessee River system (Emory River, Clinch River, and Tennessee River) and those held at the CRAC, which is part of the Cumberland River system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Bioaccumulation of metals in three freshwater mussel species exposed in situ during and after dredging at a coal ash spill site (Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant)

Otter

McKinney

Brown

et al. 2015

Environ Monit Assess

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On December 22, 2008, a dike containing coal fly ash at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant (TN, USA) failed, and within months, dredging operations began to remove ash-contaminated sediments. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the bioaccumulation of metals in three mussel species during and after dredging operations. Mussels were caged for approximately 1 year during dredging and after, and then mussel condition index values and As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Se, Hg, U, Fe, Mg, Al, Sb, Ba, Be, Co, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ag, Sr, Tl, V, and Zn concentrations in soft tissue were determined via inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometery. Overall, the differences observed in metal bioaccumulation and mussel health suggest that mussels in the immediate downstream area of the dredging site may have been impacted, as evidenced by a significant decrease in mussel condition index values, but that this impact did not result in increased tissue concentrations of metals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Bioaccumulation of metals in three freshwater mussel species exposed in situ during and after dredging at a coal ash spill site (Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant)

Otter

McKinney

Brown

et al. 2015

Environ Monit Assess

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“…() speculated that increased total suspended solids (TSS) associated with high stream flows may increase processing cost, thus reducing growth of mussels at high flows. However, TSS does not appear to affect mussel growth (Gascho Landis, Haag & Stoeckel, ), suggesting that other mechanisms influence mussel growth at high stream flows. Alternatively, reduced growth at increased stream flows could represent interruptions in feeding due to behavioural responses to evade scouring during increasing stream discharges.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of flow and stream characteristics on the variation in freshwater mussel growth in a Southeast US river basin

2014

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1. The evaluation of the age and growth of animal populations is essential for understanding and predicting how populations will respond to changes in environmental conditions and anthropogenic stressors. 2. We used a novel, von Bertalanffy hierarchical modelling approach to quantify relationships between the growth of three freshwater mussel species and various site-and watershed-level factors including seasonal discharge, land cover and stream size in the lower Flint River Basin, Georgia, U.S.A. 3. Our modelling approach quantified the mussel-to-mussel variation in the von Bertalanffy parameters and accounted for biases associated with multiple measurements made on each mussel specimen, which are generally not accounted for as sources of bias in age and growth studies. 4. Modelling results suggested that maximum shell size parameter and the Brody growth coefficient varied across species, on average, 19 and 33%, respectively, among individual mussels within sample sites. The variation was related to short-term high streamflows during the spring season, stream size, channel geomorphology and land cover in the watershed. 5. This study provides insight to the factors affecting the growth of stream-dwelling freshwater mussels. Although hierarchical von Bertalanffy growth models are rarely used for freshwater mussel age and growth studies, this approach can provide important information regarding the ecology of freshwater mussels.

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“…Pond dimensions were 20 × 60 m with water depths from 0 m at the shallow end to 2 m at the deep end. An airlift and baffle system was used to create a raceway within each pond to maintain similar experimental conditions between this and the previous study with L. subrostrata (Gascho Landis et al ., ). Airlifts were placed in 1.2 m water depth and directed water flow towards the shallow end along a 5 × 15 m baffle.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At very high concentrations of suspended clay (1250–5000 mg L −1 ), attachment and metamorphosis success of parasitic mussel larvae (glochidia) on fishes was reduced in the laboratory (Beussink, ), but such high suspended sediment levels are rarely seen in streams. Increasing concentrations of suspended solids at environmentally relevant levels (>20 mg TSS L −1 ) resulted in a sharp reduction in the number of female mussels that became gravid, but the caloric content and growth of females was unaffected (Gascho Landis, Haag & Stoeckel, ). However, that study used only a single species, Ligumia subrostrata , and the specific stage at which reproduction is interrupted was not identified.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To assess the generality of our previous results (Gascho Landis et al ., ), we examined the effects of suspended solids on mussel reproduction in both short‐ and long‐term brooding species. By examining gill contents multiple times throughout the spawning period, we also investigated the stage at which the reproductive process was inhibited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multi‐stage disruption of freshwater mussel reproduction by high suspended solids in short‐ and long‐term brooders

Landis

Stoeckel

2015

Freshwater Biology

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Summary Suspended solids are one of the most widespread pollutants in streams, but little is known about their effects on freshwater mussels. In a previous study, we showed that increasing concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS) resulted in a decreased proportion of gravid female mussels; however, the generality of this effect and the specific stage at which reproduction was inhibited remain unknown. In this study, we examined stage‐specific disruption of reproduction in a short‐term brooding mussel species (Reginaia ebenus) and a long‐term brooding species (Ligumia subrostrata). High TSS concentrations disrupted reproduction in both the short‐ and long‐term brooding species, but the mechanism appeared to differ between species. A high proportion of female Reginaia ebenus (range = 0.33–0.93) were fertilised across the entire TSS gradient (11–92 mg L−1), but few glochidia developed at TSS >20 mg L−1. In contrast, only a low proportion (0–0.28) of female Ligumia subrostrata were fertilised at high TSS concentrations, but all gravid females eventually produced fully developed glochidia. Excessive inputs of sediments and/or nutrients probably disrupt early reproductive stages of freshwater mussels via elevation of inorganic or organic TSS concentrations and may be important drivers of freshwater mussel declines.

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High suspended solids as a factor in reproductive failure of a freshwater mussel

Cited by 42 publications

References 45 publications

Bioaccumulation of metals in three freshwater mussel species exposed in situ during and after dredging at a coal ash spill site (Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant)

Bioaccumulation of metals in three freshwater mussel species exposed in situ during and after dredging at a coal ash spill site (Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant)

The effects of flow and stream characteristics on the variation in freshwater mussel growth in a Southeast US river basin

Multi‐stage disruption of freshwater mussel reproduction by high suspended solids in short‐ and long‐term brooders

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