Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University of Northern Iowa

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Mussels

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Education

Threatened By Industry, Saved By Science: Mussel Propagation At The Fairport Biological Laboratory, James Pritchard Jan 2005

Threatened By Industry, Saved By Science: Mussel Propagation At The Fairport Biological Laboratory, James Pritchard

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

During the 1890s, people on the Mississippi River exploited mussel populations to support a thriving button industry. Within a brief time, they noticed significant declines in mussel populations, and called on the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to save the resource. This paper discusses mussel propagation studies, techniques, and activities carried on in association with the Fairport Biological Laboratory (Iowa) from about 1908 to 1932. While scientists developed sophisticated techniques and had success in mussel propagation, changing habitat conditions in the river (caused mainly by pollution and dam construction) meant limited success in rescuing mussel stocks, while the introduction of plastic …


Aspects Of An Interior Stream Clam Midden From 1915 At Quasqueton, Buchanan County Iowa, Dennis W. Schlicht Jan 2005

Aspects Of An Interior Stream Clam Midden From 1915 At Quasqueton, Buchanan County Iowa, Dennis W. Schlicht

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

During clam surveys on the Wapsipinicon River in 1991 buried clams were observed in a bank of the river at Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa. An interview with the landowner revealed that the clams were from a 1915 local clamming operation. Excavation and examination of many of the clams reveal interesting differences in species composition and size, when compared to more recent specimens from the river. Observations on the midden were recorded, species determinations were made and measurements were taken. Comparisons are made to two other modern surface surveys on the river. Differences were observed in both species composition and shell …


The Unionid Mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) Of Missouri River Floodplain Ditches In Fremont County Southwestern Iowa And Atchison And Holt Counties Northwestern Missouri, Ellet Hoke Jan 2005

The Unionid Mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) Of Missouri River Floodplain Ditches In Fremont County Southwestern Iowa And Atchison And Holt Counties Northwestern Missouri, Ellet Hoke

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A survey of ditches in the Missouri River floodplain in southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri resulted in the recovery of nine unionid mollusk species. The floodplain ditches may provide valuable habitat for mussels in a region that has suffered a tremendous decrease in productive aquatic habitats over the past sixty-eight years. Additional survey activity is needed to determine the complete inventory of unionid mollusks in the area.


The Freshwater Mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) Of The Boone River, North Central Iowa, Ellet Hoke Jan 2004

The Freshwater Mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) Of The Boone River, North Central Iowa, Ellet Hoke

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A survey of the freshwater mussels of the Boone River conducted in September 1982 documented a fauna consisting of seventeen then extant or relict species. Analysis of museum records yielded one additional species unrecovered since 1937. Subsequent to the 1982 study, additional surveys were conducted in the region in 1984-1985 and 1998-1999 as a part of two statewide surveys. A comparison of the results of the three studies suggests a significant decline in the unionid fauna in the Boone River since 1982. While it is almost certain that a real decline in the fauna has occurred, the extent of this …


The Unionid Mussels Of The Upper Iowa And Turkey River Watersheds, Jim Eckblad, Brett Ostby, Karis Tenneson Jan 2002

The Unionid Mussels Of The Upper Iowa And Turkey River Watersheds, Jim Eckblad, Brett Ostby, Karis Tenneson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The Iowa driftless region occupies an area of about 9,000 km2 in the northeastern corner of Iowa and is drained by relatively old entrenched meandering streams. The Upper Iowa River and Turkey River are the largest of these streams. During the period from June, 1999 to October, 2000, a total of 193 sites were surveyed for mussels from the Upper Iowa River, the Turkey River, and their main tributaries. Surveys were conducted by hand using a 10 m bank-to-bank search at each site. Data analysis was facilitated using ArcView GIS. The presence of mussels was recorded at 75% of …