Freshwater Mussel Cultivation and Recovery at Virginia’s Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center

1. 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

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

4. South Fork Holston River 5 acre pond 0.25 acre pond AWCC Buller Fish Cultural Station

5. AWCC Water Sources South Fork Holston River 0.25 Acre Fishless Pond – Added 1998 5 Acre Musky Pond - Added 2004

6. Mean Monthly Water Temperature 2004 Comparisons For Mussel Cultivation b b b b b b b b b b a b a * a a a b b b * a a b a a a a Monthly temperature means with the same letter are not significantly different (P > 0.05) * Incomplete data set

7. Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center

8. Mussel Holding Building

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

10. 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 dolabelloidesPlethobasus 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

11. 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

12. AWCC Lab

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

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

16. Recirculating Propagation System

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

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

19. Growth of Ligumia recta in silica & limestone sand substrate

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

21. Spiny riversnail, Io fluvialis Size ranged from 3-21mm at 90 days

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

23. Mussel Augmentation Reaches TAZEWELL Clinch R. 5 WISE RUSSEL Little R. BLAND 4 6 WYTHE M.F. Holston River S.F. Holston 3 N.F. Holston River Powell River Creek Copper Clinch SMYTH LEE Big Moccasin Cr. 2 1 WASHINGTON SCOTT 10 miles 1=Lower Powell, 2=Lower Clinch, 3=Clinch Islands, 4=Middle Clinch, 5=Upper Clinch, 6=N.F. Holston

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

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

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

27. 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

28. Future Plans • Refine systems to maximize survival and growth

29. 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

30. 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

31. Proposed New Site AWCC Proposed New Facility Site AWCC

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

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

34. Thank You