Over two dozen people took part in an annual workshop Wednesday to identify freshwater mussels in an effort to help get them off the endangered species list.
The workshop is in its 15th year and was held in two areas. Students were split between Florence, located on the Northeast border of Chatham-Kent, and Dawn Mills, close to Dresden.
Todd Morris is a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He helps students identify freshwater mussels and teach them the importance of the different species within their ecosystem.
"They're filter feeders so they play a roll in clarifying the water," Morris said. "A single [mussel] can filter 40 L of water a day and we have thousands of them in the river here. They help to transfer energy to make it available for other animals like fishes, aquatic insects or terrestrial animals like raccoons."
According to Morris, mussels live between 60 and 80 years. He added there are 35 different species in the Sydenham River alone, 15 of which are federally endangered, threatened or at special risk.
"The main thing we want to get across to people is to understand and realize that these animals are actually here in our rivers," Morris said. "Most people are completely unaware that they're out there. In terms of what we can do to protect them, we want to make sure we are not trampling or disturbing the habitat for these animals."
Morris added mussels are very sensitive to contaminants and people should be cautious they are not adding anything to the river that might impact the animals. The scientist said waste and pesticide runoff from agriculture sites and salt from roads can be especially harmful to mussels.
Morris said due to the invasive Zebra Mussel, freshwater mussel populations are almost nonexistent in the Great Lakes now.
The workshop is held the same week of June each year. Morris said it is the perfect time to get samples because the water level is low enough to get at the mussels and it their reproductive period, so the mollusks are closer to the surface.
Dr. Todd Morris, research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada teaching the students about the importance of freshwater mussels. June 20, 2018. (Photo submitted by Hilary Prince.)
An example of one Snuffbox mussel and two Northern Riffleshell mussels. June 20, 2018. (Photo submitted by Hilary Prince)
An example of a Flutedshell mussel. June 20, 2018. (Photo submitted by Hilary Prince)