Hunt to Present Invasive Mussels Research in Webinar on Oct. 30

Dr. Darrin Hunt, assistant professor of biology at University of the Ozarks, is the lead author of a new scholarly article on invasive mussels in streams in the journal Hydrobiologia and will discuss his research during a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

Hunt's article appeared in the July edition of the peer-reviewed aquatic biology journal and is titled, "Investigating the effects of dreissenid mussel shells in streams post invasion." The second author on the article is Dr. Donna R. Kashian, professor of environmental science at Wayne State University.

Hunt will present his research in a webinar for Invasive Mussel Collaborative at the organization's quarterly webinar, scheduled for 9 a.m. (CDT) on Oct. 30. For more information or to view the webinar, visit HERE.

The abstract for Hunt's article reads:

"The ecological impact of dreissenid mussel (e.g., quagga and zebra) populations and their empty shells on native fauna in large rivers and lakes has been extensively studied. However, there is limited information on their effects in small wadable streams. Although established mussel populations in these systems are uncommon, their shells are found in high densities in benthic environments and may adversely impact stream communities. Shell densities were quantified using quadrats in two wadable streams to assess impacts on native benthic macroinvertebrates and fish. Eight reaches of each river were sampled, four with dreissenids and four without, totaling 16 locations."

"Macroinvertebrate and fish communities were characterized using diversity and environmental tolerance indices. Shell densities were significantly higher in dreissenid-invaded sites compared to sites with only native bivalves in both rivers. Dense shell beds had degraded biological conditions with fewer sensitive macroinvertebrates, but bed density did not affect overall macroinvertebrate or fish diversity. These findings differ from lake and large river studies, which found a greater impact of dreissenid shell deposition on macroinvertebrate and fish diversity than we observed in small wadable streams. Thus, a different approach to management and restoration may be necessary to maintain a natural community composition in wadable streams."

The full article in Hydrobiologia can be found HERE.

Hunt joined the U of O faculty in 2023. A freshwater ecologist, he has done extensive research on how biotic communities respond to broad-scale anthropogenic stressors like urbanization and climate change. Specifically, he has studied how stream benthic macroinvertebrate communities are impacted by habitat changes caused by invasive bivalves in urban and rural environments of temperate and tropical climates. Some of his research interests include stream ecology, urban ecology, freshwater biology, invasive species management and green stormwater infrastructure.

He earned his Ph.D. from Wayne State in biological sciences and urban sustainability.

Topics: Biology, Faculty Spotlights