North America's Freshwater Mussels Are Rapidly Disappearing

Govind Tekale

In North America, freshwater mussels are going extinct quite quickly

Photo source: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region (CC BY 2.0)

There are already 35 extinct mussel species.

Photo source: Peter Kauss (CC BY 2.0)

Every day, each mussel may filter up to 20 liters of water

Photo source: Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Every day, 14 billion gallons of water are cleaned by the mussels in the Mississippi River.

Photo source: Gary Peeples/USFWS (CC BY 2.0)

There are now barely 2,000–3,000 mussels in a river that once had 60,000

Photo source: Roger Tabor (USFWS) (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Fish are used by mussels to disperse their young.

Photo source: USFWS. (CC BY 2.0)

The survival of mussels is seriously threatened by pollution and dams.

Photo source: FWC Research (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

To replenish populations, conservationists are breeding mussels.

Photo source: FWC Research (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Funding for mussel protection may be available through the Recovering America's Wildlife Act..

Photo source: Meagan Racey/USFWS (PDM 1.0)