Freshwater Mussel Die-offs

Contributed by Doug Carlson, posted 12-19-19: A recent piece by NPR discusses major die-offs of already-imperiled freshwater mussels in Virginia and other parts of the U.S. A number of potential causes are under investigation but perhaps of greatest interest is mounting evidence from epidemiologists that a novel virus and bacteria may be at least partly responsible. The full article can be foundĀ here.

Dead mussels collected on the Clinch River by the USFWS

Mussel die-off on the Clinch River.