Research for protection

A fantastic output the project is able to facilitate is that the Freshwater Biological Association is currently working on a new paper, investigating suitability of potential donor populations of juvenile freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) for restoring the river Kent SAC, Cumbria.

Freshwater pearl mussel glochidia are specialised parasites that require population-specific host salmonids for successful development and population recruitment. Our proposed research will focus on host-parasite interactions to make evidence-based decisions on potential donor populations. The results of this research will help to inform donor population selection within the project, as well as providing new information on mechanisms of encystment. This information is important to inform the selection of a resilient freshwater pearl mussel population capable of future natural recruitment, as well as for the streamlining of captive breeding processes on a wider scale.

The project will also be conducting research using emerging eDNA sampling and DGT Passive phosphorous technologies. These established techniques still require further trialling in the field, and we will be using them to capture data on the presence of invasive Signal Crayfish, crayfish plague and levels of phosphorous in the catchment, to enable targeted work and establishing long overdue data sets.