Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Wisconsin Fishery
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Wisconsin Fishery Project


Development of eDNA metabarcoding methods for freshwater mussels

September 2019 - August 2021


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • US Fish and Wildlife Service East Lansing Field Office

Mussels are an important component of river ecosystems but have undergone substantial declines throughout their range. Our project will leverage genetic techniques (eDNA metabarcoding) to improve estimates of mussel diversity in Michigan rivers. This project is a collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS. The techniques developed here can be used to conduct research that will inform mussel conservation strategies in the future.