Conservation
Brook Floater Decision Making Workshop
In February 2020, we held a workshop where we sought to identify where states should reintroduce or augment brook floater to minimize the probability of extinction within a state. We focused on Massachusetts and Connecticut, two states with only a few, small populations still extant, that likely need population restoration to prevent statewide extirpation. We identified that restoration actions aimed at redundancy (number of populations), representation (number of occupied basins), and resiliency (population size) were constrained by resource availability such as limited broodstock, staff time, and budgets. Optimal restoration locations depended on habitat conditions, the status (viability) of nearby mussel populations, population size (number of individuals), and the location within watersheds; all important considerations in addressing population persistence. Restoration actions also accounted for the risk of disease transmission among mussels and fish, and the genetic health and diversity of mussel populations. The workshop identified the multiple, compounding uncertainties related to population restoration, identified information gaps critical to decision making, and charted a path forward to make decisions given uncertainties. The optimization approach developed can be used to select specific watersheds for restoration in any state, province, or region and can easily be adapted as new information becomes available.
Katz, C.C. Coghlan. 2022. Brook Floater restoration. identifying locations to reintroduce or augment
populations with propagated mussels. Cooperator Science Series. 141.
Freshwater Mussel Workshop in New Brunswick
Members of the BFWG participated in the Freshwater Mussel Workshop in July 2022, including a classroom day and field practice day in New Brunswick. There were about 20 participants in the workshop, with most being from local groups of Southwest New Brunswick. This workshop was provided by the Species at Risk Program of DFO Maritimes Region. The classroom session included hands-on mussel ID and the field session included mussel surveys. The wonderful instructors were Mary Sollows (NB Museum), Kellie White (Cape Breton University), and Darleen Elward (Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance)!
Photos courtesy of Ree Brennin Houston (F&O Canada).
Kalen (Eastern Charlotte Waterways) and others from ECW and Pesotomuhkati Recognition Group conducting mussel surveys at Lake Utopia.
Isabelle in the classroom session, hands-on mussel ID.
Brook Floater Restoration in Massachusetts
Re-introduction has been identified as an important and effective method for restoring imperiled mussel populations where habitat, water quality, and host fish populations are suitable. We developed the capacity to restore Brook Floater to suitable waterbodies in Massachusetts by combining habitat and water quality assessments of known populations and target restoration rivers with hatchery propagation efforts. Citizen scientists with the Connecticut River Conservancy are engaged in mussel habitat surveys in the field. We developed an educational and outreach campaign in conjunction with a plan for reintroduction and long-term monitoring. This work is funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, which is supported in part by the sale of environmental license plates.
Future Plans
Moving forward, we will comprehensively reassess the status of Brook Floater within states to direct management actions for local populations and evaluate potential restoration actions. These actions include:
1. Update the Status Assessment and develop recovery plans
2. Evaluate potential Brook Floater restoration actions
3. Develop population demographic models
4. Conduct preliminary mussel and habitat surveys associated with 2 dam removals in
Brook Floater range and monitor following the dam removal
5. Collect genetic information from Brook Floater populations
Our findings will strengthen ongoing work on statewide status and conservation plans for Brook Floater as well as aid resource managers in developing stocking densities and abundances.