Not the shiny kind that you wear on your finger or that may pay for that retirement home on the lake, but rather the more valuable ones known as endangered species. Biologist from the hatchery, working with Minnesota DNR personnel, conducted mussel surveys within Pool 9 on the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge near DeSoto, Wis. The divers identified over 20 species of native mussels that still inhabit this portion of the refuge, including the federally endangered Higgins-eye pearlymussel. This portion of the Mississippi River has been severely impacted by the recent invasion of the exotic zebra mussel and mussel density and species composition was markedly lower than recorded historic levels.

Hatchery divers also conducted assessment surveys on several known populations of the endangered Higgins-eye pearlymussel within the upper river. These sites included a recovering population established in 2001 near Minneapolis and a site located within the Savannah District of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, near Cordova, Ill. Divers gathered data on both populations, as well as collected over 15 gravid female mussels for recovery work being carried out by the hatchery.