Working with Albany State University (ASU) and the University of Georgia, the Flint RiverQuarium has joined conservation partners in research to contribute to the recovery and protection of the Flint River basin’s aquatic resources. The first project is a pilot study of host fishes of Flint River mussels, using wild-caught fish to identify mussel species that utilize each fish species as a host. Fish are currently being held at the Flint RiverQuarium for the next few weeks while mussel larvae, called glochidia, and juvenile mussels are collected. Visitors can view ASU research students at work in a temporary lab located in the Flint RiverQuarium gift shop. Genetic analysis using PCR procedures at Albany State University and subsequent DNA sequencing at a commercial lab will identify the mussel species.  

This pilot research project will evaluate local mussel-host fish relationships. The Flint River is home to 28 species of freshwater mussels, but host fish species are unknown for 40% of them. Freshwater mussels use mobile host fish to travel and to complete their life cycle. Fertilized mussel eggs attach to a host fish, form a cyst, and hang on as fish move through or among streams, rivers, or lakes, usually over a few weeks. When they are ready, mussels emerge from the cyst as juveniles and drop off. Then, they burrow into the stream or lake bottom. Here they will grow into adults and spend the next 10, 20, or for some species, as much as 60-100 years of their lives.

 Considered ecosystem engineers due to their profound impacts on stream quality and function, freshwater mussels are a vital part of the Flint River ecosystem. Filter feeders, freshwater mussels are a key part of the food web in aquatic ecosystems. They also strain out suspended particles and pollutants from the water column and help improve water quality for other animals, including humans. Some mussels can filter up to 10 gallons of water per day. Mussels are also indicators or biological monitors of past and present water quality conditions in rivers and lakes.

Additional rounds of fish and mussel collection are planned for 2021, with specifics determined by information gathered from research and processing of the current samples. Processing of samples and analysis of results may extend into Spring 2022.

In addition to the Flint RiverQuarium, Albany State University, and the University of Georgia, research partners in the pilot project include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, and the Jones Center at Ichauway. The project is funded through the ASU-Flint RiverQuarium Partnership, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The involvement of ASU faculty and students and the activities at the Flint RiverQuarium are advancing the research and education objectives of the ASU-Flint RiverQuarium Partnership.

The Flint RiverQuarium is southwest Georgia’s premier aquarium, featuring more than 1,000 animals that call the Flint River watershed home. The Flint RiverQuarium is located at 101 Pine Avenue in downtown Albany, Georgia. Regular operating hours are daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Find more details at www.flintriverquarium.com.