A combined approach: Unionid filtration of the phytoplankton community

Cultural eutrophication and an increasing prevalence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are worldwide phenomena.  One potential biological solution for the reduction and prevention of algal blooms is the use of natural filter feeding organisms, such as freshwater mussels, to reduce phytoplankton abundance in the water column without promoting harmful species.  The central goal of my proposed Ph.D. research is to increase our understanding of how freshwater mussel filtration affects phytoplankton abundance and community composition.  My planned approach combines long-term field monitoring with laboratory experiments.  I will sample abiotic (temperature, pH, nutrients, DO, flow) and biotic (phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria) parameters over and adjacent to several mussel beds monthly for one year to detect seasonal, hydrographic, and mussel bed effects on the phytoplankton community.  In the laboratory, I will test for filtering differences among various mussel species under standardized conditions using natural plankton assemblages.  By collecting and culturing mussel feces and pseudofeces during these feeding experiments, I plan to test the viability of filtered and ingested phytoplankton.  Together, these studies will increase our understanding of how mussels impact the phytoplankton community and may provide a viable bioremediation solution that promotes conservation and restoration of an important aquatic group dangerously close to extirpation.