A surprising find beneath the surface of the Moosup River, which flows through northeastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island, is reshaping what researchers know about local freshwater ecosystems. Credit: URI Photos / Bio-Funk lab
When University of Rhode Island researchers slipped beneath the surface of the Moosup River recently, they did not expect to find a living freshwater mussel community. The discovery marked the first documented record of freshwater mussels in the river in more than three decades and included rare native species considered sensitive indicators of river health.
Graduate students Jamie Bucholz and Mallory Malz in URI's Department of Natural Resources Science identified the mussel community during a survey of the river, which flows through northeastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island.
It's a major milestone and a rare piece of good news for one of the world's most overlooked endangered animal groups.
The research is part of a statewide effort led by Bucholz and Shelby Rinehart to better understand where native freshwater mussels still persist. The project brings together the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
