POV: You work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and this is your office for the day.
At Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, refuge divers plunge into the depths of the Ohio River to monitor the ecosystem – including freshwater mussels protected by the Endangered Species Act. Long-term monitoring shows the dive team where mussels are improving or declining from year to year and how they can be protected.
Freshwater mussels play a key role in rivers and streams. One mussel can siphon up to 15 gallons of water a day, filtering out nutrients as well as suspended pollutants, and preventing their spread downstream. Mussels also take root on river bottoms and help stabilize the sand and gravel, keeping the river bottoms secure for other species.
📷Refuge divers at Upper Twin Island, photo by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS
