ABSTRACT:
Reduced habitat quality may be contributing to the decline of freshwater mussels
in southeastern rivers. As part of an ongoing evaluation of the quality of freshwater
mussel habitat in Gulf Coastal Rivers, the Chipola River was assessed during 2006 and and
2007. Sediment samples were collected at 8 sites along the Chipola River on May 2-3,
2006 and analyzed for contaminants and tested in the laboratory for toxicity to Hyalella
azteca using 29-d exposures to solid-phase sediment and 96-h exposures to sediment
porewater. In addition, benthic macroinvertebrate populations were sampled at each site.
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