Welcome
I created this project to track freshwater mussel (order Unionida) observations in Alabama.
Freshwater mussels are fascinating when you consider that when Europeans first arrived in Alabama, there were hundreds of millions filling the rivers and creeks throughout the state, each filtering about 12 gallons of water per day. Mussels filter pollution from our rivers and streams, improving water quality and filtering toxins such as mercury. Freshwater mussel populations are in serious decline worldwide and are the most endangered group of organisms in the U.S.
Major threats to mussel populations are the building of dams, impoundments, water quality, and pollution. After Alabama Power built four major dams between 1912 and 1928, and companies like ALCO started polluting our rivers and streams, the majority of mussels were killed, and those that were not lost their ability to reproduce. In 2015 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated that there are more than 2200 dams in the state, cutting off the fish migrations required for mussel reproduction. Of the 181 species in the state, about 58 are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. We are approaching a critical time when the youngest mussels living when the dams were built are starting to reach their maximum lifespans of about 70 years. Scientists expect to see an increase in extinctions over the next few years.
There are efforts to restore these populations in Alabama such as the Aquatic Biodiversity Center in Marion, AL.
