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ACBA Mussels

Page history last edited by Mary.Ellsworth 9 months, 3 weeks ago

 

 Mussel Release at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

          Saturday, Aug 18, 10-noon!  

             The ACBA mussels are 1 year old - it's time to set them free.

             All are welcomed to participate

 

 

AWS Freshwater Mussel Culture at Anacostia Community Boathouse

Project Leader:   Kyle Spears

 

  1.   Mussel baskets deployment April 13, 2023  - 4 baskets, 1,000 mussels

 

  2.   First Measuring Session, noon, July 16, 2023

 

  3.    Second Measuring Session, Oct 2023, December 2, 2023

 

  4.   Third & Final Measuring Session, June 23, 2024

 

       

 

 

Data:  Each basket started with 250 mussels. Measurements done for 10% of each basket (sample size =25 mussels)

Date

 

4/23

 
Basket 1 Basket 2 Basket 3 Basket 4
mm gram mm gram mm gram mm gram
32.4  2.7 32.6 2.8    31.3 2.4  31.6  2.7 
 
Overall basket
Ave length Ave wt
32.0 mm 2.7 gm
 

NOTES:_______

No dead mussels 

 

7/16

Basket 1 Basket 2 Basket 3 Basket 4
mm gram mm gram mm gram mm gram
41.7 6.7   38.0 5.0  43.5  7.9  41.2  7.0 
Overall
Ave length Ave wt
41.1 mm 6.7 gm
3-mos mussel growth
9.1 mm 4.0 gm
22.2%   59.8%

No dead mussels.

Dragonfly
nymph and tiny amphipoda
(shrimp) in the baskets

_________________ 

 

 

12/2
Basket 1 Basket 2 Basket 3 Basket 4
mm gram mm gram mm gram mm gram
51.4 9.9 53.1 10.2 46.5 7.7 51.4 9.8
  Sample size changed - 20 mussels ea basket
Overall
Ave length Ave wt
50.6 mm 9.4 gm
3-mos basket growth Jul-Dec
9.5 mm 2.7 gm
23.1%   41.0%  
8-mos mussel growth Apr- Dec
18.6 mm 6.71 gm
58.2%   250.8%
 
Significant woody debris around the baskets and significant mud/silt in the baskets. Very few dead mussels
 
06/23
               
               
               

 

 
  Baskets were fairly clean - sand but not a lot of debris or mud. A couple of dragonfly casts 

 

 

 Ongoing Basket Monitoring - interim checks and observations   April 2023 - April 2024 

        

 

 

  How to do a measuring session

 

 

The Anacostia's Freshwater Mussels - important for filtering water

 

From an AWS mussel presentation:   The two tanks started out w the same amount of dirty haze. The mussels in the left hand tank have filtered out all the haze in less than an hour's time.  An adult mussel can filter 10-20 gal of water a day.  This activity is a key strategy in cleaning up the Anacostia River.

 

 

 

RESOURCES

 

   Alewife Floater Mussel - iNaturalist description

 

 

 

 

   Mussel Restoration at the Anacostia Watershed Society

 

 

 

 Jorge Bogantes Montero, AWS

 

 

 

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