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Enhanced monitoring and investigation of the spread and potential impact of aquatic invasive bivalves in the Columbia River Basin

Principal Investigators: Stephen Bollens, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Tim Counihan (USGS)
Students: Whitney Hassett, Ben Bolam, Summer Henricksen, Salvador Robb-Chavez, Carol Sandison (science teacher at Columbia River High School, Vancouver, WA)
Funded by: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission/US Corps of Engineers, Murdock Charitable Trust “Partners in Science” Program
Award period: 2012-present

Project Summary:

One of the technical priorities for BPA is to adequately maintain and update the hydropower equipment in the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS).  A major challenge to the effective operation of the FRCPS is the presence and colonization of aquatic invasive species (AIS) that can potentially reduce efficiency and require significant and costly mitigation efforts.  The Columbia River Basin (CRB) covers an area the size of France that includes portions of seven states and British Columbia.  Developing programs to prevent new introductions of AIS, assess risk, quickly detect new arrivals and control their spread is complicated by the sheer size of the basin and the number of jurisdictions.  Zebra and quagga mussels have recently invaded many western water bodies, causing extensive economic and environmental damage.  However, the CRB has yet to be invaded by these highly destructive species. Research is required to develop methods for preventing the mussels’ spread, to allow early detection, and to define strategies for controlling and managing hydroelectric, irrigation and urban water facilities, if the mussels are introduced to the CRB.

Project Goals

In this project we expanded upon existing efforts by Washington State University (WSU) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to achieve the following goals:

1) Enhance an integrated AIS monitoring and information system, originally developed by the USGS and WSU in collaboration with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC).

2) Enhance and further coordinate existing early detection efforts, through development and implementation of new technologies for visualization and detection (FlowCam and eDNA).

3) Provide a Geographic Information System (GIS) layer describing all of the river access points on the mainstem Columbia and Snake Rivers and major tributaries, and research and report our current understanding of the relative use of these river access points.

4) Conduct research that will help to assess the cause and effects of biological invasions in the CRB.

5) Provide opportunities to train young professionals in assessing the effects of AIS on CRB food webs.

 

Publications resulting from this project:

Hassett* W, Zimmerman J, Rollwagen-Bollens G, Bollens S, Counihan T.  (2021) An experimental evaluation of the efficacy of imaging flow cytometry (FlowCam) for detecting Dreissenid and Corbiculid bivalve veligers.  Lake and Reservoir Management 37: 406–417.

Bollens S, Harrison J, Kramer M, Rollwagen-Bollens G, Counihan T, Robb-Chavez* S, Nolan S.  (2021) Calcium concentration in the lower Columbia River, USA, and its implications for invasive bivalves. River Research & Applications 37(6): 889-894.

Rollwagen-Bollens G, Bolam* B, Bollens S, Henricksen* S, Sandison° C, Zimmerman J.  (2021)  Temperature-dependent functional response of the invasive Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, feeding on natural phytoplankton.  Inland Waters 11(2): 250-256.

Bolam* B, Rollwagen-Bollens G, Bollens S. (2019) Feeding rates and prey selection of the invasive Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, on microplankton in the Columbia River, USA.  Hydrobiologia 833: 107-123.

Counihan T, Bollens S (2017) Early detection monitoring for larval dreissenid mussels: how much plankton sampling is enough?  Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 189: 98

Hassett* W, Bollens S, Counihan T, Rollwagen-Bollens G, Zimmerman J, Katz S, Emerson J.  (2017)  Veligers of the invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea in the Columbia River Basin: Broadscale distribution, abundance and ecological associations.  Lake and Reservoir Management 33: 234-248.