Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU

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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research on the economic value of ecosystem services supported by our nationâ¿¿s rivers and streams, with a specific focus on those supplied by freshwater mussels in the Upper Delaware River. Not only are mussels filter feeders that provide an essential link in the food chain, but by filtering water through their gills as they feed, they play a critical role in keeping the water clean. This improved water quality in turn supports a range of ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being, including drinking water, recreation, and aesthetics. This is the case in the Upper Delaware River, the last major undammed river in the eastern United States, which provides clean drinking water for 5% of the nation, provides habitat for key threatened, endangered and migratory species, and supports a world class cold water fishery and other recreation such as rafting, boating, and swimming. Although the Upper Delaware River currently represents a healthy ecosystem, future management decisions and land use changes could affect mussel populations and the beneficial services they provide in this region.

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