Data is included for two types of field surveys conducted for freshwater mussels in the mainstem of the middle and upper Delaware River in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States from 2000-2002. Timed search (qualitative) surveys were conducted during 2000-2001 from a point at the confluence of the East and West Branches of the Delaware River near Hancock, NY continuously downstream to a point at the mouth of the Paulins Kill River near Columbia, NJ. In this qualitative survey, mussel species and counts were collected in the field catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data was determined for all mussel species within each of 1,095 consecutive stream sections ~200 m in length. Subsequent quantitative surveys were conducted in select 200-m sections of river using quadrats during 2002 in order to estimate abundance and density of mussel present in these sections. One Excel file contains data from qualitative surveys, and a second excel file contains data from quantitative quadrat surveys.

We conducted large-scale systematic surveys for native mussels across six reaches of the upper Mississippi River. In each reach, divers placed two 0.25 square meter quadrat frames on the river bottom. The duplicate quadrats, which were placed 10 m apart in an upstream to downstream direction, were used to increase the area sampled at each site and increase the effectiveness of this cluster design. Divers excavated substrates to a depth of about 15 cm and placed material into a 6 mm mesh bag. Mussels were identified to species, aged via external annuli, measured for shell length, and sexed (in species with external sexual dimorphism).

This data release includes the data associated with the manuscript "Freshwater mussel distribution and catchment prioritization for mussel conservation in the Northeastern United States." It describes native freshwater mussel distribution data for Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut as well as catchment priority scores for different conservation activities. The data release also includes some data to enable better understanding of the models used in the associated manuscript such as model standard deviations and model parameter permutation importance values.

Results from a quantitative survey of mussel assemblages from 12 long-term monitoring sites over 153 river kilometers of the Buffalo National River 2019-2021.

Results from a quantitative survey of mussel assemblages from 12 long-term monitoring sites over 153 river kilometers of the Buffalo National River 2019-2021.

Data are included for two types of field surveys conducted for freshwater mussels throughout the Susquehanna River Basin (and one site in the Potomac River Basin) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States from 2008-2010. Timed search (qualitative) surveys were conducted in consecutive ~200 meter sections of river (at least 8 in each stream). The number of mussels of each species and associated search time were recorded for each survey section to determine a catch per unit effort (CPUE; number of individuals found per person hour). Within qualitatively surveyed areas, one ~200 meter section of stream was selected in which to conduct quantitative surveys to estimate mussel abundance, assess presence of juvenile mussels, and quantify population demographics. At each survey site, a subset of ~30 Elliptio complanata was haphazardly selected and retained for shell thin-sectioning and age determination. Two sites (Pine Creek and Buffalo Creek) were resurveyed both qualitatively and quantitatively in 2014 and 2015 after experimental re-introduction of the American eel (Anguilla rostrata), a documented host fish for E. complanata.

Data are included for two types of field surveys conducted for freshwater mussels throughout the Susquehanna River Basin (and one site in the Potomac River Basin) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States from 2008-2010. Timed search (qualitative) surveys were conducted in consecutive ~200 meter sections of river (at least 8 in each stream). The number of mussels of each species and associated search time were recorded for each survey section to determine a catch per unit effort (CPUE; number of individuals found per person hour). Within qualitatively surveyed areas, one ~200 meter section of stream was selected in which to conduct quantitative surveys to estimate mussel abundance, assess presence of juvenile mussels, and quantify population demographics. At each survey site, a subset of ~30 Elliptio complanata was haphazardly selected and retained for shell thin-sectioning and age determination. Two sites (Pine Creek and Buffalo Creek) were resurveyed both qualitatively and quantitatively in 2014 and 2015 after experimental re-introduction of the American eel (Anguilla rostrata), a documented host fish for E. complanata.

Inventory project as-delivered dataset

Inventory project as-delivered dataset

Inventory project as-delivered dataset