Freshwater Mussel Cultivation and Recovery at Virginias Aquatic

Freshwater Mussel Cultivation and Recovery at Virginia’s Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center by Michael J. Pinder, Nathan L. Eckert, Joseph J. Ferraro, & Brian T. Watson Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries

Program Goal Recover endangered mussel populations in the upper Tennessee River drainage State Endangered 29% Federal Endangered 24% Non-listed 33% Extirpated or Extinct 14%

Buller Fish Cultural Station South Fork Holston River 5 acre pond 0. 25 acre pond AWCC

AWCC Water Sources South Fork Holston River 0. 25 Acre Fishless Pond – Added 1998 5 Acre Musky Pond - Added 2004

Mean Monthly Water Temperature 2004 Comparisons For Mussel Cultivation b bb * b a a bb b a a a b bb a a aa * Incomplete data set Monthly temperature means with the same letter are not significantly different (P > 0. 05) *

Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center

Mussel Holding Building

Adult Mussel Holding Tanks Quarantine tank flow Quarantine tank outflow Benefits Habitat specialization Increased spawning chances Isolation of species/drainages

Species Held at the AWCC--37 Margaritiferidae Cumberlandia monodonta Unionidae Amblemines Amblema plicata Cyclonaias tuberculata Elliptio crassidens Elliptio dilatata Fusconaia barnesiana Fusconaia ebena Fusconaia subrotunda Lexingtonia dolabelloides Plethobasus cyphyus Pleurobema oviforme Quadrula c. strigillata Quadrula pustulosa Quadrula quadrula Anodontines Alasmidonta atropurpurea Lasmigona holstonia Lasmigona costata Pyganodon grandis Lampsilines Actinonaias ligamentina Actinonaias pectorosa Dromus dromas Epioblasma brevidens Epioblasma capsaeformis Epioblasma f. walkeri Epioblasma triquetra Lampsilis fasciola Lampsilis ovata Lemiox rimosus Ligumia recta Medionidus conradicus Potamilus alatus Ptychobranchus fasciolaris Ptychobranchus subtentum Villosa iris Villosa perpurpurea Villosa vanuxemensis Pleuroceridae Io fluvialis

Species Held at the AWCC--37 Margaritiferidae Cumberlandia monodonta Unionidae Amblemines Amblema plicata Cyclonaias tuberculata Elliptio crassidens Elliptio dilatata Fusconaia barnesiana Fusconaia ebena Fusconaia subrotunda Lexingtonia dolabelloides Plethobasus cyphyus Pleurobema oviforme Quadrula c. strigillata Quadrula pustulosa Quadrula quadrula Anodontines Alasmidonta atropurpurea Lasmigona holstonia Lasmigona costata Pyganodon grandis Lampsilines Actinonaias ligamentina Actinonaias pectorosa Dromus dromas Epioblasma brevidens Epioblasma capsaeformis Epioblasma f. walkeri Epioblasma triquetra Lampsilis fasciola Lampsilis ovata Lemiox rimosus Ligumia recta Medionidus conradicus Potamilus alatus Ptychobranchus fasciolaris Ptychobranchus subtentum Villosa iris Villosa perpurpurea Villosa vanuxemensis Pleuroceridae Io fluvialis 23 of 37 species have become gravid

AWCC Lab

Mussel Propagation Units 75, 45 & 15 Gallon Tanks Top view - Tank floor w/ air supply 100 µm plankton net to collect juvenile mussels flow

Mussel Propagation Units 20 -40 µm Sand Filter Ultra-violet Filter 20 µm Bag Filters Pool Heater 5, 500 Gallon Water Tank

Recirculating Propagation System

Bucket Juvenile Rearing 2 buckets seeded together w/ a submersible pump Nytex chambers in upper bucket hold juveniles

Mussel Rearing Unit 50 µm bag canister filter 5 L round container

Growth of Ligumia recta in silica & limestone sand substrate

Intermediate Rearing System 300 micron filtration & higher flow rate Larger pan with more substrate

Spiny riversnail, Io fluvialis Size ranged from 321 mm at 90 days

Mussel Production and Release at the AWCC Number of Juveniles (1000’s) 12 12 9 8 4 5 4 Year

Mussel Augmentation Reaches TAZEWELL . h. R c Clin WISE 5 R. RUSSEL Little BLAND 4 r ve Ri 3 r LEE 1 ell ow ve Ri P 10 miles 2 ch in Cl per Cop SCOTT ek Cre Big M sin occa Cr. . N. F R ton ols 6 r ive H F. . M WYTHE on t ols . Holston S. F H WASHINGTON 1=Lower Powell, 2=Lower Clinch, 3=Clinch Islands, 4=Middle Clinch, 5=Upper Clinch, 6=N. F. Holston SMYTH

Lower Recent Release Sites Within WV The Tennessee River System Clinch @ Richlands Clinch @ Cedar Bluff VA KY Clinch @ Cleveland Powell @ 833 Bridge TN Powell @ Bales Ford, TN Clinch @ Sneedville, TN S. F. Holston @ Friendship Clinch @ Clinchport Upper NC SC GA AL

Shell length (mm) Lampsilis fasciola Released in 2001 and Recovered from 2002 -05 at Clinchport, Clinch River, Virginia 13 23 19 100 Year Class 15

Mussel Restoration Funding • Virginia Nongame Tax Checkoff • ESA Section 6 • State Wildlife Grants • NRDA Settlement Grants Certus – Cedar Bluff Lone Mountain – Powell River

Staffing Nathan Eckert - Freshwater Mussel Recovery Coordinator Joe Ferraro - Freshwater Mussel Propagation Specialist Amanda Wood - Biologist Assistant Jonathan Orr - Wildlife Worker Mike Pinder and Brian Watson – Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologists

Future Plans • Refine systems to maximize survival and growth

Future Plans • Refine systems to maximize survival and growth • Develop methods to propagate nongame fish for use as mussel hosts and recovery of endangered fish species

Future Plans • Refine systems to maximize survival and growth • Develop methods to propagate nongame fish for use as mussel hosts and recovery of endangered fish species • Design a state-of-the-art facility to cultivate rare aquatic fauna

AWCC Proposed New Facility Site AWCC Proposed New Site

Conceptual Site Plan for the AWCC Source: Fish. Pro / Cochran & Wilken Inc. Consultng Engineers and Scientists

AWCC Building Floor Plan Machine Room Classroom / Meeting room Open Area for: Lobby / Outreach AHAB room Kitchen Juvenile Rearing Units Intermediate Growout Units Mussel Propagation Units Adult Mussel Holding Tanks Host Fish Holding Tanks Fish Propagation Units BR BR BR Office Propagation Lab Office Source: Fish. Pro / Cochran & Wilken Inc. Consultng Engineers and Scientists

Thank You