Water Quality and Freshwater Mussels? Yes!
In freshwater environments, including rivers, lakes, and streams, what factors can you think of that contribute to water quality? Why does water quality matter?
What you'll do
In this lesson, you will dive into the world of a little-known animal that plays a key role in the environment: the freshwater mussel. You will use media, text, diagrams, and images to examine the following three questions:
- What role do freshwater mussels play in the environment, and why would it matter if they disappeared?
- What factors threaten mussel populations today?
- How are scientists working to preserve and protect mussel populations?
Throughout the lesson, you will complete tasks such as writing responses to questions, highlighting important text, and reading diagrams. At the end of the lesson, you will write an opinion piece that demonstrates what you’ve learned about the topic.
The Delaware Estuary portion of the Delaware River Basin spans 134 miles from Trenton, New Jersey, to the mouth of the Delaware Bay.
The following terms are used throughout this lesson:
- Bivalve - a type of mollusk whose soft body is protected by two shells; oysters, clams, mussels and scallops are all examples of bivalves
- Ecosystem Services - natural benefits provided by organisms and their interaction with the environment that help other organisms including humans; one example is filter-feeding
- Endangered - a status of a group of organisms that means they are close to becoming extinct
- Estuary - a productive area where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water from rivers and creeks
- Filter-feeding - a method of moving and eating microscopic particles in the water used by many bivalves
- Freshwater Mussel - an animal that belongs to a diverse group of bivalve mollusks living in freshwater environments such as rivers and lakes
- Glochidia - ("glo-kid-ee-ya") the larvae from a freshwater mussel that can transform into a juvenile mussel
- Mollusk - any of a large group of invertebrate animals with soft bodies
- Pollution - harmful substances or products that have been introduced into the environment, usually in air or water
- Reproduction - the natural process among organisms by which new individuals are made and the species is continued
- Restoration - a return of something to its former, original or normal condition
- Species - a group of individuals able to reproduce with one another to produce offspring that are able to reproduce with each other
- Threatened - a status of a group of organisms that means they may soon become endangered
