Using innovative environmental DNA and conventional surveying techniques, scientists found traces of a mussel not seen in Illinois since the early 1900s.
Describing the scene from the Sangamon River, malacologist Sarah Douglass told the University of Illinois: "I was ecstatic and doing a happy dance in my head after finding the fresh dead shell. I just knew we'd find live ones, and we did shortly after."
The salamander mussel is a freshwater mussel that is quite unlike any other. It is the only freshwater mussel that does not use a fish as a host for reproduction. Instead, as its name implies, it uses the mudpuppy, an aquatic salamander found in lakes, rivers, and ponds in North America.
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Definitely 👍 Because of its tiny stature — around two inches long — the salamander mussel is difficult to spot. However, environmental DNA techniques — collecting environmental samples for analysis — allow researchers to find traces of genetic material shed by tiny organisms.
As conservation biologist Mark Davis explains, eDNA makes for much more efficient research: "Instead of investing weeks or years searching all possible habitats throughout the state, eDNA allows us to focus like a laser on those places where we have genetic traces."
Mussels like the salamander mussel play an important role in the biodiversity of an ecosystem. They serve as tiny "ecosystem engineers" by improving water quality and providing nesting sites for insects, fish, and plants. Biodiversity is a crucial part of a healthy ecosystem, and combating the loss of native animals and plants in an area is an important part of conservation efforts worldwide.
The salamander mussel's reemergence in Illinois will have important effects on research and conservation efforts in the state. It will help inform new policy decisions within Illinois and provide a platform for further research.
As Douglass said, "This find is incredible, and it will allow us to help answer a variety of conservation-related questions for these species."
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