Aquatic Underdogs: How Freshwater Mussels Can Help Save our Great Waters

Freshwater mussels are the “underdogs” of aquatic ecology: few people know that they exist and even fewer know that they are the most imperiled of all organisms in North America. Due to over-farming and their complicated lifecycle, once-plentiful freshwater mussel populations are dwindling. That’s bad news for rivers, streams, and lakes, where freshwater mussels act as natural waste treatment plants. This Weeknights at the Wagner illustrated presentation by Dr. Danielle Kreeger will describe these fascinating creatures and local efforts to restore them.

Dr. Danielle Kreeger is an ecologist with more than 30 years of experience working as a research scientist and educator. She currently serves as science director for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, where she represents the National Estuary Program’s scientific interests, and as associate research professor at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.