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Belleisle Creek

Freshwater Mussel

Assessment

B e l l e i s l e W a t e r s h e d

C o a l i t i o n

O c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

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New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund Report

This report is submitted in fulfilment of the 2019 NBWTF project#: B309-123 entitled,

“Belleisle Creek Freshwater Mussel Assessment"

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Introduction

The Belleisle Watershed Coalition conducted its first freshwater mussel survey in

Belleisle Creek in the summer of 2019. Freshwater mussels are a part of the phylum

Mollusca, which also contains oysters, squid, and slugs to name a few.

Freshwater mussels live in a variety of habitats such as flowing or still water, and rocky

or sandy substrates. As filter feeders, they play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems

providing many services such as the removal of an abundance of suspended material

from the water thus reducing turbidity by their ability to filter feed; and positively

influencing the nutrient cycle by converting the food they filter into forms that other

animals and plants can take in easier (McCollough, et al., 2000).

Freshwater mussels have an interesting life cycle in that they require a host fish to

deliver their glochidia, the larval stage for these animals, upstream by becoming a

parasite on the fish’s gills (Geist, 2010). Once they have grown and are ready, they

release themselves from the host and settle into the substrate where they stay for most

of their life – adults only move a few hundred feet in their lifetime. They can move

around locally using their foot structure and can leave a visible trail in fine sediment

showing where they have been. During times of cooler water temperatures, freshwater

mussels will bury themselves further into the sediment to protect themselves from the

cold and to anchor themselves for fast-flowing water.

As aquatic species, freshwater mussels are faced by multiple stressors including

increased or decreased nutrient levels, pollution, habitat degradation, invasive species,

and changes in the water flow patterns.

Project Scope

Limited freshwater mussel identification projects have previously been conducted in

the Belleisle Bay, which Belleisle Creek is a tributary of, by the New Brunswick Museum

for their archives; however, this is the first freshwater mussel survey conducted in

Belleisle Creek or any tributary of the bay. Studies in the Belleisle Bay have identified

the Eastern Pearlshell (margaritifera margaritifera), Eastern Elliptio (elliptio

complanata), Alewife Floater (anodonta implicata), Eastern Lampmussel (lampsilis

radiata), Tidewater Mucket (leptodea ochracea), and the Eastern Floater (pyganodon

cataracta). These mussels typically use Yellow perch, Largemouth bass, Brook trout,

American eel, and a few species of dace as their host fish during their reproductive

cycle which are all common to the Belleisle Creek and/or the Belleisle Bay.

The purpose of this survey is to determine what species of mussel and quantity are

present within Belleisle Creek; providing valuable information on habitat, including

water quality and the species that can live there; to contribute to the freshwater mussel

collection at the New Brunswick Museum for Kings County; map thedistriubtion of

mussel beds in this watercourse; and promote the project and how it related to fish

(water quality and wildlife (food source) to the general public.

Project Costs

The total cost of this project was $10,030.20 with support from the New Brunswick

Wildlife Trust Fund totalling $5,498.93 or 54.8% of the project costs. Additional

funding was received from Canada Summer Jobs to hire summer staff for this project.

In-kind support was provided from the New Brunswick Museum’s freshwater mussel

expert Mary Sollows who helped us plan this project, taught field staff how to identify

mussels, verified the data, and answered questions along the way. Additional in-kind

support was provided from the Belleisle Community Centre who provided the BWC with

office space.

Materials and Methods

Viewfinders were made by cutting out the bottom of a five-gallon bucket using a

jigsaw. Approximately one inch was left the entire way around the bottom for attaching

the plexiglass. Then, using a plastic cutting knife, a circular piece of plexiglass was cut

to fit over the hole. Marine epoxy was used to glue the plexiglass to the inside of the

bucket and then they were left to dry overnight. These viewfinders were used to clearly

see the substrate and freshwater mussels in areas that were either fast flowing or deep

(Figure 1).

Figure 1: Field staff conducting a survey using the viewing buckets.

The locations surveyed were pre-determined using points set at 100 meters apart on a

GPS from previous studies within the creek. Survey locations were chosen based on

previous sightings of freshwater mussels and easy accessibility to get to the site.

Every 200 meters a stream assessment was performed, but mussels were counted and

identified and recorded the entire length of the creek in surveyed areas. Stream

assessments include recording the pH, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, air

temperature and water temperature using a YSI ProPlus, as well as bank vegetation,

erosion level, substrate and water flow.

Wetted width and bank full width were taken by holding each end of a 200-foot

measuring tape and holding it to the water level of that day. The tape was then moved

up the bank where it was estimated that bank full width was. This information was

then converted into metres.

The mussels were counted by dividing the area that was to be counted into two lanes,

one for each surveyor, then moving in a zig-zag pattern across the channel. This was

done by starting at the shore and walking to the middle of the channel and then

moving back towards the shore. The third person recorded as well as checked the

banks and nearby pools for dead mussel shells that were also recorded and identified.

Mussels were tallied by species identified. The mussels were identified with the help of

The Freshwater Mussels of Maine book (McCollough, et al., 2000). Upon data entry, the

percentage of each species found alive or dead was compared to the total number of

mussels found in the site. A location was determined to be a site when there were

more than ten mussels found. A collection site needed to have at least 30 mussels to

ensure survival of the population in the site.

Collection was done first by surveying the streambed and banks for dead shells. Shells

were only collected if they were in good condition, meaning the shell is intact and not

too eroded, and the nacre is shiny and pinkish, not chalky and white. The shells

collected were observed in a site with more than ten mussels to indicate a site. Live

mussels collected are found at sites with more than 30 mussels to indicate a healthy

population that can sustain itself even after collection.

Results and Discussion

In total, 69 sites were surveyed for freshwater mussels and of those surveyed 52 sites

had mussels present. The only species of freshwater mussel found within Belleisle

Creek was the Eastern Pearlshell (margaritifera margaritifera) (Figure 2). In total, 5117

mussels were counted, of which 4152 (81%) were live and 322 (19%) were dead shells

observed along the bank and dry streambed (all raw data can be found in Appendix 2).

Although abundant in Eastern Canadian waters, the Eastern Pearlshell has been

considered endangered by the IUCN Red List globally since 1996 (Moorkens et al,

2017). It has also been in decline in Europe over the past few decades (Geist, 2010) but

is stable and not listed in the Species At Risk Act (SARA) in Canada.

Figure 2: Eastern Pearlshell (margaritifera margaritifera) found in Belleisle Creek.

Habitat and Distribution

As state previously, freshwater mussels need a variety of environmental and habitat

conditions to survive and reproduce. Figure 3 depicts the interactions of these

important factors for the Eastern Pearl Shell. Without a fish host, freshwater mussels

cannot reproduce therefore the presence of the appropriate fish species within the

watercourse is paramount to survival of the freshwater mussel species within a

particular watercourse. The Eastern Pearlshell requires species within the salmonid

family (salmon and trout species) for their reproduction (McCollough, 2000). It has

been documented through electrofishing surveys in past projects by the BWC that both

Brook trout and Brown trout are present within Belleisle Creek and therefore it not

surprising that the Eastern Pearlshell was found here (Belleisle Watershed Coalition,

2018).

Figure 3: The ecological requirements of the Eastern Pearlshell mussel (Retrieved from Boon et al, 2019).

Through the site assessment conducted at each of the sites data trends in common

hydromorphology characteristics were revealed. Sites where mussels were present all

had some quantity substrate cobble or gravel. Sites with only sand or finer substrate

materials did not have any mussels observed. This result is not surprising given the

species of freshwater mussel found as it has been documented that Eastern Pearlshell

prefers areas with a gravely substrate.

Additionally, no mussels were observed at sites that consisted of only pool habitat.

Sites where mussels were observed had at least a mixture of pool/riffle/run habitats

and a few sites were either all riffle or all run habitat. It is well known that these habitat

types impact the water quality found within these reaches. Within pool areas, flow and

thus dissolved oxygen concentrations can decrease compared to faster flowing areas.

For the most part, freshwater mussels are sentinel species and do not move much in

terms of distance; therefore, it is likely that the mussels would be found in areas with

the most dissolved oxygen concentrations. As filter feeders, freshwater mussels are

also sensitive to high turbidity environments that can be found in pool habitats and

less likely to happen frequently, outside of rain events, in riffle and run habitats.

Through the survey, Eastern Pearlshell mussels were found throughout the creek in

both small numbers and very large beds. The distribution of mussel sites were mapped

based on the number of mussels found at each site (Figure 4). The most numerous

mussel beds were found in the middle section of the creek. This is likely due to the

presence of the preferred habitat throughout this reach. The lower section of the creek

is very slow moving and contains many silty pools. The middle section has many

different habitat types and is likely where the host fish would also be found. The upper

section of the creek becomes fairly shallow and could result in mussel beds being

exposed during warm dry summer months.

Figure 4: Map of sites were freshwater mussels were found along Belleisle Creek. Blue sites have 10 or less

mussels; yellow 11-30; purple 31-50; green 51-100; navy 101-200; and orange 200+. The map was

created using Google mymaps and the interactive version can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=12_6Ht8kfz9g3mUpi4TRiIMJHiMUwBlkp&usp=sharing

Outreach and Project Promotion

Throughout this project, the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust fund was acknowledged

through social media post such as those found in Figure 5. In addition to online

promotion of the project, many people were curious to know what field staff were

doing in the field and as such many community members were made aware of the

project and its importance in terms of wildlife and water quality through in-person

conversations.

Figure 5: Examples of social media posts used to education the community about this project and its

importance as well as promotion of the NB WTF as a funder.

Conclusion

Through this survey, it was determined that the Eastern Pearlshell is very abundant in

Belleisle Creek. With the habitat requirements for this species and its presence within

this watercourse it indicated that, for the most part, Belleisle Creek is well oxygenated,

runs clear and not turbid, contains salmonid species, and likely does not have a large

amount of harmful pollution such as metals. The abundance of mussels found within

Belleisle Creek seems to suggest that the creek is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen to

support this population of mussels. Given the surrounding land-base and topography

it is not surprising that the creek is capable of supporting a large population of

freshwater mussels. Additionally, these mussels provide a valuable food source for

many wildlife species in the area and therefore play are larger role in the overall food

web in the watershed.

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References:

Belleisle Watershed Coalition. (2018). Monitoring fish communities and improving

habitat in Belleisle Creek. New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund Report.

Boon, P., Cooksley, S., Geist, J., Killeen, I., Moorkens, E., Sime, I. (2019). Developing a

standard approach for monitoring freshwater pearl mussel (margaritifera margaritifera)

populations in European rivers. Aquatic Conservation: marine and freshwater

ecosystems. 6(1), 1-15.

Geist, J. (2010). Strategies for the conservation of endangered freshwater pearl

mussels (margariifera margaritifera L.): a synthesis of Conservation Genetics and

Ecology. Hydrobiologia. 644, 69-88.

McCollough, Mark A., et al. The Freshwater Mussels of Maine. Marine Department of

Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 2000.

Moorkens, E., Cordeiro, J., Seddon, M., von Proschwitz, T., Woolnough, D. (2017).

Margaritifera margaritifera, Freshwater Pearl Mussel. The IUCN Red List of Threatened

Species.

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Appendix 1 – Final Budget Breakdown Table 1: Final breakdown of project costs for this freshwater mussel survey in Belleisle Creek.

Part A: Labour

Job Title # Employees

Rate #hours Total Cost NBWTF Cash In-Kind Source

Roxanne 1 23.5 + MERCs 83.1 2,245.78 2,245.78

Madison 1 13 + MERCs 280 4,186.00 589.90 3,596.10 CSJ

Abby 1 13 + MERCs 70 1,048.50 1,048.50

Bookkeeper

1 25 + MERCs 46.5 1,162.50 1,162.50

Mary Sollows

1 40 13.25 530 530* NB Museum

Totals: 9,172.78 5,044.68 3,596.10 530 Part B: Materials, Supplies, and Equipment

Item # of units

Unit Cost

Total Cost NBWTF Cash In-Kind Source

Buckets 2 4.27 8.54 8.54 Plexiglass 1 100.10 100.10 100.10 Epoxy 2 13.69 27.37 27.37 Snorkel kits 2 26.87 53.73 53.73 Waders 1 102.11 102.11 102.11 Baggies 2 2.02 4.03 4.03 Plexiglass Cutter 1 12.71 12.71 12.71 Totals: 308.59 308.59 Part C: Other Expenditures

Item # of units

Unit Cost

Total Cost

NBWTF Cash In-Kind Source

Mileage 363 0.41 145.66 145.66 Office Rental 1 400 400 400 BCC Totals: 145.66 400 Part D: Total Costs and Funding

Total Cost

NBWTF Cash In-Kind

Part A: Labour 9,172.78 5,044.68 3,596.10 530

Part B: Materials, Supplies and Equipment 308.59 308.59

Part C: Other Expenditures 548.83 145.66 400

Totals: 10,030.2 5,498.93 3,596.10 930

*Final in-kind support figures from the NB Museum were not obtained in time for this

publication and are only an estimation.

Appendix 2 – Raw Data Table 2: Mussel and water quality data collected from surveys along Belleisle Creek during the summer of 2019.

Site

Mussels-Eastern Pearlshell

Total EP

Weather

Coordinate Date

Bankfull Width (m)

Wet Width (m)

Temp DO (mg/L)

DO (%)

Conductivity (µs/cm)

pH

Alive Dead N W Water Air

BC 00 0 0 0

BC 100 0 0 0 sunny 45.65855 65.85017 July 19 20.9 22.2 7.25 82.5 84.3 7.54

BC 200 0 0 0

BC 300 0 0 0 sunny 45.65991 65.84725 July 19 20 21.3 7.57 83.7 83.6 7.5

BC 400 0 0 0

BC 500 0 0 0 sunny 45.66082 65.84505 July 19 19.6 21.4 7.8 86.7 83.6 7.5

BC 600 0 0 0

BC 700 0 0 0 sunny 45.66173 65.84253 July 19 19.1 20.1 7.99 85.9 83.9 7.4

BC 800 0 0 0

BC 900 0 0 0

BC 1000 0 0 0 Sunny 45.66268 65.84064 July 19 18.5 20.5 8.04 88.8 84.3 7.42

BC 1100 0 0 0 Sunny 45.66227 65.83874 July 19 18.6 19.2 8.36 90.5 84.3 7.44

BC 3400 9 4 13 Sunny 45.67186 65.81382 July 8 16.2 12.0 18.3 25.2 10.98 115.9 73.9 9.5

BC 3500 1 3 4

BC 3600 3 4 7 Sunny 45.67326 65.81212 July 8 26.3 23.3 19.8 10.61 116.7 73.5 7.83

BC 3700 19 1 20

BC 3900 1 1 2 Sunny 45.67453 65.81019 July 8 24.4 24.1 21 21.2 10.2 114.5 73.7 8.11

BC 4000 0 1 1

BC 4100 16 1 17 Sunny 45.67622 65.8092 July 8 20.5 19.6 22.6 24.1 9.97 116 73.7 7.25

BC 4600 18 2 20 sunny 45.67923 65.80601 July 15 16 17.4 18.4 10.53 109.8 73.9 7.81

BC 4700

BC 4800 0 2 2 Clouded over but warm

45.67984 65.80346 July 17 20.2 12.3 19.9 21.6 10 110.2 79.2 7.7

BC 4900 0 0 0

BC 5000 7 6 13 cloudy and warm

45.6815 65.80261 July 17 26.1 13.3 19.9 20.5 9.99 109.7 79.1 7.88

BC 5100 2 8 10

BC 5200 3 5 8 sunny and

45.68322 65.80179 July 17 16.8 10.3 20.4 20.6 10.03 111.3 79 7.93

cloudy

BC 5300 0 2 2

BC 5400 1 8 9 sunny 45.68417 65.79947 July 17 21.3 9.6 21.1 20.4 10.06 113.2 79.2 7.97

BC 5500 6 14 20

BC 5600 9 27 36 sunny 45.6842 65.79682 July 17 20.4 10.0 20.9 21.1 10.17 114.1 79.3 7.93

BC 7300 85 5 90 sunny 45.68227 65.7818 July 16 28.0 7.2 18.8 23.5 11.32 123.6 81 8.15

BC 7001

BC 7002 33 1 34 sunny 45.68234 65.77924 July 16 21.3 16.1 19.2 24.2 10.91 119.1 87.8 8.09

BC 7003

BC 7004 200+ 2 202 Sunny 45.68201 65.77747 July 16 23.8 13.2 20 21.7 11.14 123 87 7.87

BC 7005

BC 7006 134 0 134 Sunny 45.68281 65.77591 July 16 16.1 14.4 20.6 22.1 10.59 118.7 96 8.03

BC 7007

BC 7008 33 2 35 Sunny 45.68357 65.77451 July 16 16.1 15.7 21 21.7 10.02 113.4 95 7.97

BC 7010 14 0 14 Sunny 45.68423 65.77309 July 16 15.0 10.1 22.1 22.8 9.91 116 71.4 7.92

BC 7011 137 0 137

BC 7012 184 1 185 Sunny 45.68534 65.7737 July 16 17.0 15.3 23 23.9 10.29 122.1 68 7.41

BC 7013 10 5 15

BC 7014 726 18 744 Sunny 45.68652 65.7739 July 11 18.2 12.4 23 23.9 10.33 120.3 70.9 7.42

BC 7015 140 1 141

BC 7016 496 10 506 sunny 45.68756 65.77307 July 11 17.3 10.2 24 19.6 9.74 115.9 71.1 7.65

BC 7017 93 15 108

BC 7018 161 0 161 sunny 45.68863 65.77164 July 12 27.4 9.4 18.1 17.9 9.65 102.3 76.6 7.75

BC 7019 3 4 7

BC 0002 89 16 105

BC 0003 15 18 33 sprinkling 45.68991 65.77026 July 12 12.09 9.3 18 18.3 9.89 105.1 73 7.4

BC 0004 228 2 230

BC 0005 70 12 82 cloudy 45.69162 65.77045 July 12 14.6 13.2 18.1 17.4 10.1 107.1 72.4 7.61

BC 0006 6 4 10

BC 0007 60 5 65 Rainy 45.69241 65.77017 July 12 12.3 7.4 18.1 17.4 10.2 108.3 72.2 7.72

BC 0008 62 6 68

BC 0009 84 20 104 rainy 45.6941 65.76782 July 12 12.5 10.3 18 17.6 10.13 108.4 72.6 7.89

BC 0010 4 0 4 sunny 45.69413 65.76652 July 18 10.4 7.3 17.5 20.6 10.77 112.5 73.9 7.69

BC 0011 7 2 9

BC 0012 8 0 8 sunny 45.69301 65.76453 July 18 10.7 9.2 18.3 17.7 10.41 110.4 74.4 7.81

BC 0013 1 1 2

BC 0014 1 1 2 sunny 45.69162 65.76295 July 18 14.7 12.3 18.7 18.7 10.45 112.5 7.99

BC 0015 33 16 49

Table 3: Habitat data collected during freshwater mussel surveys during the summer of 2019.

Site Substrate Composition (%) Channel (%) Left Bank Composition (%) Right Bank Composition (%)

Bed

rock

Bo

uld

er

Co

bb

le

Gravel

Sand

Silt/Clay/ M

ud

Detritu

s

Riffle

Ru

n

Po

ol

Decid

uo

us

Co

nifero

us

Small Trees/

Shru

bs

Grasse

s/ ferns

Mo

ss

An

thro

po

genic

Decid

uo

us

Co

nifero

us

Small Trees/

Shru

bs

Grasse

s/ferns

Mo

ss

An

thro

po

genic

BC 00

BC 100 10 30 40 20 100 5 5 90 trail 20 80

BC 200

BC 300 50 50 100 20 30 50 40 60

BC 400

BC 500 40 30 30 100 30 30 40 50 50

BC 600

BC 700 80 20 100 20 40 40 50 50

BC 800

BC 900

BC 1000 100 100 30 30 40 50 50

BC 1100 100 100 90 10 20 80

BC 3400 70 10 20 30 70 10 90 10 90

BC 3500

BC 3600 10 20 30 40 100 100 20 80

BC 3700

BC 3900 5 70 25 25 70 5 100 60 40

BC 4000

BC 4100 40 30 20 10 100 60 40 40 60

BC 4600 20 50 15 15 80 20 100 70 30

BC 4700

BC 4800 20 60 10 10 100 10 90 30 30 20 20

BC 0016 57 30 87 sunny 45.69213 65.76107 July 18 20.7 7.2 19.5 19.6 10.8 119.1 73.4 7.91

BC 0017 162 16 178

BC 0018 443+ 8 451 sunny 45.69387 65.75993 July 18 15.4 12.2 19.9 20.3 10.65 117.1 73.5 7.55

BC 0019 652 10 662

BC 0020 269 2 271 sunny 45.69564 65.75957 July 18 12.7 9.8 21.1 21.6 10.48 119.3 73.4 6.94

BC 4900

BC 5000 20 40 40 100 20 80 20 40 40

BC 5100

BC 5200 10 40 10 5 35 100 50 10 20 10 70 30

BC 5300

BC 5400 5 25 60 10 80 20 50 50 50 50

BC 5500

BC 5600 10 10 20 50 10 40 50 10 50 10 20 20 40 20 40

BC 7300 80 20 100 30 30 20 20 30 30 20 20

BC 7001

BC 7002 20 40 40 100 40 40 20 20 40 40

BC 7003

BC 7004 70 5 10 10 5 100 20 60 20 85 10 5

BC 7005

BC 7006 30 10 10 10 30 10 100 30 40 15 15 40 50 10

BC 7007

BC 7008 10 10 10 10 50 10 100 20 30 30 20 10 50 20 10 10

BC 7010 30 50 20 100 70 30 10 50 40

BC 7011

BC 7012 70 20 10 20 80 40 30 10 20 10 30 30 10 20 10

BC 7013

BC 7014 70 10 10 10 30 70 30 50 10 10 20 50 10 20

BC 7015

BC 7016 5 30 40 25 100 30 30 20 20 40 40 20

BC 7017

BC 7018 40 20 40 100 20 70 10 20 40 20 10

BC 7019

BC 0002

BC 0003 20 20 60 25 50 25 50 50 50 50

BC 0004

BC 0005 60 40 100 10 40 20 30 20 80

BC 0006

BC 0007 20 50 20 10 100 10 60 20 10 30 40 30

BC 0008

BC 0009 10 50 20 10 10 80 20 80 10 10 50 50

BC 0010 10 30 50 10 20 80 90 10 100

BC 0011

BC 0012 10 70 20 90 10 30 20 50 100

BC 0013

BC 0014 10 30 20 10 10 30 70 60 20 20 20 80

BC 0015

BC 0016 20 50 50 30 70 50 25 25 90 10

BC 0017

BC 0018 5 30 60 5 100 40 20 40 100

BC 0019 10 60 25 5 10 90 60 10 10 20 100

BC 0020