Status and Trends

Reports & Publications

Effect of Species Rarity on the Accuracy of Species Distribution Models Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources, vols. 1-2

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Related Subjects

Agricultural Practice (Impacts)

Threatened and Endangered Species

Mollusks
Mollusks are invertebrates that have soft, non-segmented bodies and are often covered by a hard shell. This group of invertebrates includes snails, clams, oysters, whelks, mussels, slugs, octopuses, and squids. Ranging from minute snails and clams to large organisms such as squid and octopus, many mollusks live in intertidal marine environments, shallow subtidal and the continental shelf. Not all mollusks are marine organisms, however. Nearly 300 species of mussels inhabit freshwater rivers and lakes in North America. This is the richest diversity of mussels found in the world. Freshwater mussels are sedentary, long-lived (some live over 100 years) mollusks that live in sediments and filter water to feed.

Did You Know...?

NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species
Mollusks (Phylum Mollusca) are found in marine, brackish, and fresh waters. They include a diverse group of animals such as clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, abalone, conchs, shipworms, snails, nudibranchs, chitons, squids, and octopuses. The most notable nonindigenous mussel introduction is the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), a native of eastern Europe.

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Nonindigenous Mollusks Distribution Information

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: USGS Other | Format: URL

nas.er.usgs.gov — This site has been established as a central repository for accurate and spatially referenced biogeographic accounts of nonindigenous aquatic species. The program provides scientific reports, online/realtime queries, spatial data sets, regional contact lists, and general information. The data is made available for use by biologists, interagency More...

CCMA: National Status & Trends Program

July 31 2007 | Publisher: Other Federal Agency (Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)) | Format: URL

ccma.nos.noaa.gov — This website is the entry point to data for the Mussel Watch, Bioeffects, and Benthic Surveillance programs. This resource links to the National Status & Trends Program fact sheet (pdf), and several projects including Mussel Watch, Benthic Surveillance, and Bioeffects Assessment. Users can also get general information about the Center for More...

Genetic population structure of the green floater (Lasmigona subviridis): Identification of management units and associated fish hosts

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Leetown Science Center (LSC, Kearneysville) | Format: URL

www.lsc.usgs.gov — Freshwater bivalves, which are among the most threatened animals in North America, present significant challenges to conservation biologists that attempt to maintain ecological and evolutionary processes within and among populations. Effective management of this rare fauna is often complicated because inadequate information exists for More...

Zebra Mussels

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC, LaCrosse) | Format: URL

www.umesc.usgs.gov — Zebra mussels have caused drastic declines in native clam and mussel populations in some locations. Zebra mussels compete with other invertebrates and young fish for plankton, the primary food source for these groups. UMESC scientists are investigating the effects zebra mussels are having on the riverine ecosystem. This study examines the effects More...

Landscape Analysis of Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC, LaCrosse) | Format: URL

www.umesc.usgs.gov — Freshwater mussels are the largest group of federally listed endangered or threatened invertebrates, and their declines may signal declining riverine health. They are a renewable resource, providing significant ecological and economic benefits to the Nation. Our study uses a landscape-level approach to assess whether the distribution of mussels More...

National Resources Monitoring Partnership (NRMP)

Publisher: NBII | Format: URL

www.nbii.gov — Natural resource managers face complex decisions that require a clear understanding of the status of wildlife populations and their habitats. Monitoring is key to making effective management decisions and evaluating the outcomes of those decisions. The goal of NRMP is to improve the accessibility of monitoring efforts to resource managers to aid More...

National Resources Monitoring Partnership (NRMP) Newsletter

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Fort Collins Science Center (FORT, Ft. Collins) | Format: URL

www.fort.usgs.gov — Natural Resource Monitoring Partnership (NRMP) is a collaborative effort by the natural resource management community to improve monitoring efforts in order to support effective evaluation and decision-making by sharing information on monitoring projects and protocols. The Natural Resource Monitoring Partnership was built for easy access to More...

Effects of Thinning and Prescribed Fire on Aquatic and Terrestrial Herpetofauna: Little River Adaptive Management Area

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC, Corvallis) | Format: URL

fresc.usgs.gov — Prescribed fire and forest thinning is a management strategy that promotes the development of forest structure and composition similar to that present under a native fire regime. This research summary describes how FRESC researchers will address the effects of prescribed fire and forest thinning on the diversity, abundance, and habitat More...

Evaluation of sampling designs to monitor populations of freshwater mussels in small- to mid-sized drainages in the northeastern ecoregion

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Leetown Science Center (LSC, Kearneysville) | Format: URL

www.lsc.usgs.gov — Freshwater mussels are declining rapidly in response to habitat degradation associated with anthropogenic changes. Williams et. al. (1993) reported that 213 of the 297 recognized taxa are considered endangered, threatened, or of special concern. There is a documented need for BRD centers to provide guidance on freshwater mussel ecology in general, More...

Density and Size Distribution of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Upper Mississippi River, Pool 8, and Effects of Predation

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC, LaCrosse) | Format: URL

www.umesc.usgs.gov — The invasion of the exotic zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) into the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) was documented in 1991 with the discovery of a zebra mussel in Pool 8 near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Zebra mussels have expanded their range throughout the UMR because of their high reproductive rate, the free-swimming veliger stage, and ease of More...

Deep Water Science Project, Great Lakes

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC, Ann Arbor) | Format: URL

www.glsc.usgs.gov — The USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) has a long history of significant contributions to the understanding of aquatic resources in the Great The main focus of the Center's research is on the long-term dynamics of native and non-native aquatic species and the sustainability of Great Lakes fisheries. Since the Center was established, the fish More...