Freshwater Mussel Cultivation and Recovery at Virginia’s Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center
byMichael J. Pinder, Nathan L. Eckert, Joseph J. Ferraro, & Brian T. Watson
Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries
Program Goal
Recover endangered mussel populations in the upper Tennessee River drainage
Extirpated or Extinct
14%
Non-listed33%
Federal Endangered
24%
State Endangered
29%
South Fork Holston River
AWCC
5 acre pond0.25 acre
pond
Buller Fish Cultural Station
AWCC Water Sources
0.25 Acre Fishless Pond –
Added 1998
5 Acre Musky Pond - Added 2004
South Fork Holston River
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
Month
Me
an
te
mp
era
ture
(C
) SFHRClinchAWCC
Mean Monthly Water Temperature 2004 Comparisons For Mussel Cultivation
a
b
a
a
b bb
b
bb bb
b b
bba aa a
a
a
Monthly temperature means with the same letter are not significantly different (P > 0.05)
a a
b
b
* Incomplete data set
**
Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center
Mussel Holding Building
Adult Mussel Holding Tanks
Benefits
Habitat specialization
Increased spawning chances
Isolation of species/drainages
flow
Quarantine tank
Quarantine tank outflow
Species Held at the AWCC--37Margaritiferidae
Cumberlandia monodonta
Unionidae Amblemines
Amblema plicataCyclonaias tuberculataElliptio crassidensElliptio dilatataFusconaia barnesianaFusconaia ebenaFusconaia subrotundaLexingtonia dolabelloides
Plethobasus cyphyusPleurobema oviformeQuadrula c. strigillataQuadrula pustulosaQuadrula quadrula
AnodontinesAlasmidonta atropurpureaLasmigona holstoniaLasmigona costataPyganodon grandis
LampsilinesActinonaias ligamentinaActinonaias pectorosaDromus dromasEpioblasma brevidensEpioblasma capsaeformisEpioblasma f. walkeriEpioblasma triquetraLampsilis fasciolaLampsilis ovataLemiox rimosusLigumia rectaMedionidus conradicusPotamilus alatusPtychobranchus fasciolarisPtychobranchus subtentumVillosa irisVillosa perpurpureaVillosa vanuxemensis
PleuroceridaeIo fluvialis
Species Held at the AWCC--37Margaritiferidae
Cumberlandia monodonta
Unionidae Amblemines
Amblema plicataCyclonaias tuberculataElliptio crassidensElliptio dilatataFusconaia barnesianaFusconaia ebenaFusconaia subrotundaLexingtonia dolabelloidesPlethobasus cyphyus
Pleurobema oviformeQuadrula c. strigillataQuadrula pustulosaQuadrula quadrula
AnodontinesAlasmidonta atropurpureaLasmigona holstoniaLasmigona costataPyganodon grandis
LampsilinesActinonaias ligamentinaActinonaias pectorosaDromus dromasEpioblasma brevidensEpioblasma capsaeformisEpioblasma f. walkeriEpioblasma triquetraLampsilis fasciolaLampsilis ovataLemiox rimosusLigumia rectaMedionidus conradicusPotamilus alatusPtychobranchus fasciolarisPtychobranchus subtentumVillosa irisVillosa perpurpureaVillosa vanuxemensis
PleuroceridaeIo fluvialis
23 of 37 species have become gravid
AWCC Lab
Mussel Propagation Units
75, 45 & 15 Gallon Tanks
Top view - Tank floor w/ air supply
100 µm plankton net to collect juvenile mussels
flow
Mussel Propagation Units
20-40 µm Sand Filter
Ultra-violet Filter
20 µm Bag Filters
Pool Heater
5,500 Gallon
Water Tank
Recirculating Propagation System
Bucket Juvenile Rearing
2 buckets seeded together w/ a submersible pump
Nytex chambers in upper bucket hold juveniles
Mussel Rearing Unit
50 µm bag canister filter
5 L round container
Growth of Ligumia recta in silica & limestone sand
substrate
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
1 14 45 75 105 135
Days
Ave
rag
e L
eng
th (
Mic
ron
s)
Limestone-- 79.7%
Silica-- 77.3%
Intermediate Rearing System300 micron filtration & higher flow rate Larger pan with more substrate
Spiny riversnail, Io fluvialis
Size ranged from 3-21mm at 90 days
Mussel Production and Release at the AWCC
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Produced
Released
Nu
mb
er o
f Ju
ven
iles
(10
00’s
)
Year
4 5 4
9
8
12
12
Mussel Augmentation Reaches
1=Lower Powell, 2=Lower Clinch, 3=Clinch Islands, 4=Middle Clinch, 5=Upper Clinch, 6=N.F. Holston
Powell
River
Clinch
River
N.F. Holston
RiverCopper
Cree
k
M.F. Holst
on
S.F. Holston
Clinch R.
Little R.
Big Moccasin Cr.LEE
SCOTTWASHINGTON
WISE RUSSEL
TAZEWELL
WYTHE
BLAND
SMYTH
10 miles
1 2
3
64
5
TN
KY
GA
VA
NC
SC
WV
AL
Recent Release Sites Within
The Tennessee River System
Upper
Lower
Clinch @ Cedar BluffClinch @ Richlands
Clinch @ Sneedville, TN
Powell @ 833 Bridge
Powell @ Bales Ford, TN Clinch @ Clinchport
S.F.Holston @ Friendship
Clinch @ Cleveland
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2 4 6 8
Lampsilis fasciola Released in 2001 and Recovered from 2002-05 at Clinchport, Clinch River, Virginia
Year Class
Sh
ell
len
gth
(m
m)
100
19
2313
15
Mussel Restoration Funding
• Virginia Nongame Tax Checkoff
• ESA Section 6
• State Wildlife Grants
• NRDA Settlement Grants Certus – Cedar Bluff
Lone Mountain – Powell River
Nathan Eckert - Freshwater Mussel Recovery Coordinator
Joe Ferraro - Freshwater Mussel Propagation Specialist
Amanda Wood - Biologist Assistant
Jonathan Orr - Wildlife Worker
Mike Pinder and Brian Watson – Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologists
Staffing
• Refine systems to maximize survival and growth
Future Plans
• Refine systems to maximize survival and growth
• Develop methods to propagate nongame fish for use as mussel hosts and recovery of endangered fish species
Future Plans
• Refine systems to maximize survival and growth
• Develop methods to propagate nongame fish for use as mussel hosts and recovery of endangered fish species
• Design a state-of-the-art facility to cultivate rare aquatic fauna
Future Plans
AWCCProposed New Site
AWCC Proposed New Facility Site
Conceptual Site Plan for the AWCC
Source: FishPro / Cochran & Wilken Inc.Consultng Engineers and Scientists
AWCC Building Floor Plan
Source: FishPro / Cochran & Wilken Inc.Consultng Engineers and Scientists
PropagationLab
Classroom / Meeting room
Lobby / Outreach
Office
Office
Office
BR
BR
BR
MachineRoom
AHAB room
Open Area for:
Juvenile Rearing Units Intermediate Growout UnitsMussel Propagation Units
Adult Mussel Holding TanksHost Fish Holding TanksFish Propagation Units K
itch
en
Thank You
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