Freshwater Mussels Essay -- Marine Life Mollusks Conservation Essays

Fresh piss MusselsMussels atomic number 18 a species of marine carriage that inhabits many of the bodies of water in the United States. They serve as an burning(prenominal) aspect of the ecological system of the water in which they occupy. However, the number of mussels hasten been declining such that many are now considered as endangered species. at that place are a few reasons for the decline in population, including domination by a single species of mussels called the zebra mussel. Conservation has begun on mussels because of their strong environmental influence. The cardinal groups interested in mussels involve parties that use the lakes for recreation and consider mussels as a threat to their gaming as well as ecologists that meet the domination of zebra mussels and attempt to protect the native mussels from the zebra mussels. Mussels are in a group of invertebrate animals called mollusks. Freshwater mussels are also referred to as clams, naiads, and unionids. Mussels la pse its life anchored in rivers or lake bottom sediments. The vast majority of them are found in streams. Their movement is through either muscular feet or powerful flood currents. A mussel captures oxygen and microscopic regimen particles in flowing water through filtration (Vermonts Freshwater WWW). Mussels continuously pump water through their bodies. Water enters through the incurrent or branchial siphon and exits via the excurrent or anal siphon (Mussel Biology WWW). This pumping process allows the mussel to filter food from the water. The food consists of detritus, organic matter found on the stream, and plankton which are microscopic plants and animals suspend in water (Mussel Biology WWW). Mussels are long lived species with some vitality more than 10 years. Others have been record... ...reissena polymorpha. NAS. Prepared by the Florida Caribbean Science bear on of the Biological Resources Division http//www.nfrcg.gov/zebra.mussel/docs/sp_account.htmlHDR2. Mussel Biology . http//www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cwe/wwwtest/mussel/Pages/introduction.html Vermonts Freshwater Mussels Uniqueness and Diversity, Now Under Siege. The nature Conservancy of Vermont. http//tnc.org/searchtnc.html (second listing under search for mollusk). West Coast Mollusc elaboration A present and future perspective proceedings of a atomic number 20 sea surrender Workshop in cooperation with the Pacific Sea Grant College Program. edited by Rosemary Amidei. La Jolla, CA California Sea Grant College Program, Institute of Maine Resources, University of California 1988 87 pages. Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha. http//tnc.org/searchtnc.html (first listing under search for mollusk).