Freshwater mussel life cycles are connected with fish hosts, including anadromous fish, and provide significant ecosystem services including but not limited to nutrient cycling, provision of food and aquatic habitat and improving water clarity.

Several NOAA staff from OR&R, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), and Sea Grant participated in the workshop on March 5-6 at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Philip Merrill Center in Annapolis.  The workshop bridged expertise and coordination on future efforts across the Delaware River and Chesapeake watersheds and included featured presentations on mussel restoration in urban freshwater tidal areas on the Anacostia River (D.C.) and the Delaware River (Philadelphia area).  NOAA is coordinating with partners (Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and the Anacostia Watershed Society) in this area as part of executing the Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP).  Simeon Hahn gave a presentation on Natural Resource Damage Assessments and information needs to support NRDAs for this natural resource which is emerging as a significant restoration target in urban tidal freshwater areas and other locations where DARRP is active.  

The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees are evaluating freshwater mussel populations and ecosystem services as part of the Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment.

A synthesis work product including recommendations from the workshop will be available in the near future.

For further information, contact Simeon.Hahn@noaa.gov.

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