Preserving Endangered Mussels

Smart Aquaculture

Preserving endangered freshwater mussels with Smart water solutions in the Ohio River project.

The Ohio river is home to populations of various species of mussels that are essential to the overall ecosystem. Freshwater mussels are an important food source for muskrats, waterfowl and fish, and are very important water quality indicators. With nearly 90,000 cubic yards of dredging material taken annually from the river, intense monitoring of environmental factors adjacent to the valuable mussel bed is needed.

The goal of the project is to monitor and minimize the effects of dredging activities on the local mussels. Sensors mounted on solar powered communications buoys monitor factors like turbidity, sedimentation, and dissolved oxygen. The system provides real-time data transmissions that aid decisions to control water conditions that could affect the mussels.