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Summer Growth of Native Fatmucket Mussels

Ever since early May, biologists Jaime Pacheco and Melissa Cheung have spent an unusual amount of time on Pond 20.  Normally home to freshwater drum, this pond is the current site of our fatmucket floating upweller system (flupsy).  While the drum still use this pond, the flupsy is situated adjacent to an aerator near the center of the pond. 
The floating upweller system and anchor (with float attached)
 are near an aerator.  Surrounding the aerators is duckweed.
To provide the native mussels with sufficient food, we had to improve water quality and nutrient conditions.  In order to discourage filamentous algae, concentrated blue dye has been added routinely.  Highly concentrated bacteria in dry form is added to accelerate the breakdown of detritus and dead algae.  The four aerators, which have been in this pond for years, are still working and filamentous algae was manually removed in early summer.  Hundreds of pounds of alfalfa meal have also been added on an as needed basis. 
A comparison between a dead fatmucket from late
August and another from a previous cleaning.
Slowly and without the use of chemicals, the pond is becoming a place that can foster mussel growth.  There has been a visible shift from filamentous algae covering the top and bottom of the pond to duckweed covering the surface of the water.  The duckweed, in combination with the concentrated blue dye, has blocked out the sun, preventing the growth of most of the undesirable filamentous algae.  Duckweed, being a tiny floating plant, is moved by wind and water current.  The duckweed does not inhibit the growth of plankton, an important food source for mussels.  In addition, the flupsy is kept near an aerator to prevent duckweed from surrounding the flupsy. 
Austin Drake and Christian Neff from the YCC program
 spread the alfalfa meal with MSSU student Brett Nichols.
Although there are still more ways in which we can manipulate the system in Pond 20, it is nice to see some positive results.  On May 3rd, the day the mussels arrived, a water sample was obtained and examined for levels of “mussel-edible” food by Dr. Barnhart’s lab at MSU.  The results were not great, 1.6 nl/ml.  In late August, food concentration was examined again.  While the result was not near as productive as the water source surrounding the Kansas City Zoo flupsy (10nl/ml), the water samples did show an improvement (3nl/ml).  The increase also suggests that food is available for the fatmuckets.  
MSSU student Brett Nichols and YCC members Austin, Sydney, and
 Elizabeth clean the four buckets from the flupsy.  This is done once a week.
This is still the first year that mussel propagation has been attempted in this pond.  Because the pond has a leak, any overflow goes straight into the creek.  Knowing this, the biologists avoided any harsh chemicals, opting for natural alternatives.  The eventual goal is to provide grow-out space for endangered native mussels.  As the staff becomes more familiar with manipulating pond conditions, the mussels will benefit.

Jaime, Brett and Elizabeth used a jon-boat to deploy the anchor for the flupsy.  Marked by a float from above, the anchor ensures that the flupsy stays close to an aerator and reduces fouling on the buckets.

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