I am a freshwater ecologist and toxicologist, a science communicator, and a dabbler in social sciences that relate to freshwater ecology and water quality issues. My research is focused primarily on North American freshwater mollusks — mussels and snails. Native freshwater mussels and freshwater snails seem to be in a race for ‘the biggest loser,’ with more than 70% of species in each group needing conservation measures, and many already listed as threatened or endangered. I work to help identify causes of decline, inform conservation and management solutions, and uncover and share the benefits these animals provide so that people may better understand their contributions to environmental and human well-being.
Thus far, my research themes have centered on human impacts to freshwater mollusks (i.e., how we affect them) and how mollusks impact us through the natural ecosystem service benefits they provide (e.g., cleaning water for more drinkable, swimmable, fishable waters). Select a button below or navigate from the Projects dropdown menu to learn more about my research projects.
Benefits Mussels Provide Perceptions of Water Quality Aquatic Herbicides Decline of Endangered Mussels Chasing a Changing Climate Rising Stream TemperaturesWhat people often want to know is, why do we care about freshwater mussels and snails anyway?!
We’re more connected to freshwater mollusks than you might think. We like to call mussels the “Livers of the Rivers” because they filter intense volumes of water – and stream & lake water serves as the drinking water sources for 2/3 of American households. Some mussels can filter several gallons per day! As they filter water to feed, they remove algae, bacteria (including harmful strains like E. coli), and pollution from water that we eventually drink.
Mussels are also really interesting creatures – sure, they don’t have faces, but hear me out! One of their most interesting traits is that they rely on fishes to complete their life cycle! To get their larvae on those important host fish, some mussels have evolved elaborate lures to trick fish into coming close! That’s right, they’re anglers! We have ~300 native mussel species in the US and Canada!
And what about snails? There are more than 700 species in the US & Canada! In places where they still occur in large numbers, they can make up more than half of the living mass on stream bottoms! Their ability to consume algae and cycle nutrients in waterways means they do an important job of caring for aquatic habitats that we rely on for recreation, including fishing.