ADVANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ASSESSING CONTAMINANT SENSITIVITY OF FRESHWATER MUSSEL (UNIONIDAE) EARLY LIFE STAGES

摘要

Freshwater mussels (family Unionidae, also referred to as freshwater pearly mussels, unionids, or naiades) are one of North America's most endangered faunal groups. Near unanimity ex-ists in characterizations of the imperilment of these ecologically, economically, and culturally important bivalve mollusks. Freshwater mussels are a renewable resource supporting a shell industry in the United States valued at $40-50 million annually. In addition to being a food source for aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates, this diverse fauna helps stabilize sediment and provides critical nutrient and energy cycling in streams and lakes by filtering phytoplankton, bacteria, and particulate organic mat-ter from the water column.