Bay 101: Freshwater mussels

What's being done to restore these imperiled filter feeders?

Freshwater mussels serve a vital ecological role in upstream habitats, filtering water where the water is too fresh for oysters and other shellfish in the Chesapeake Bay estuary. They are also the most imperiled group of animals in North America, susceptible to water pollution and the loss of habitat caused by dams and other impediments to fish migration.

Watch as Jorge Bogantes of the Anacostia Watershed Society describes the organization's efforts to restore freshwater mussels in one Chesapeake tributary, the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C.

Video Credits

Produced by

Will Parson

Music:

"Somewhere Nice" by John Bartmann and "Waves" by Monplaisir. All music via FreeMusicArchive.org