@article{cope_bergeron_archambault_jones_beaty_lazaro_shea_callihan_rogers_2021, title={Understanding the influence of multiple pollutant stressors on the decline of freshwater mussels in a biodiversity hotspot}, volume={773}, DOI={10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144757}, abstractNote={The Clinch River watershed of the upper Tennessee River Basin of Virginia and Tennessee, USA supports one of North America's greatest concentrations of freshwater biodiversity, including 46 extant species of native freshwater mussels (Order Unionida), 20 of which are protected as federally endangered. Despite the global biological significance of the Clinch River, mussel populations are declining in some reaches, both in species richness and abundance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure of adult resident mussels to a suite of inorganic and organic contaminant stressors in distinct sections of the Clinch River that encompassed a range of mussel abundance and health. To provide insight into the potential role of pollutants in the decline of mussels, including within a previously documented “zone of mussel decline”, the mainstem Clinch River (8 sites) and its tributaries (4 sites) were examined over two consecutive years. We quantified and related metals and organic contaminant concentrations in mussels to their associated habitat compartments (bed sediment, suspended particulate sediment, pore water, and surface water). We found that concentrations of organic contaminants in resident mussels, particularly the suite of 42 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) analyzed, were related to PAH concentrations in all four habitat (media) compartments. Further, PAH concentrations in mussel tissue (range 37.8–978.1 ng/g dry weight in 2012 and 194.3–1073.7 ng/g dry weight in 2013) were negatively related to the spatial pattern in mussel densities (rs = −0.64, p ≤ 0.05 in 2012 and rs = −0.83, p ≤ 0.05 in 2013) within the river, and were highest in the “zone of mussel decline”. In contrast, the suite of 22 metals analyzed in resident mussels were largely unrelated to the spatial pattern of variation of metals in the four habitat compartments except for Manganese (Mn; range 3630.5-23,749.2 μg/g dry weight in 2012 and 1540.4-12,605.8 μg/g dry weight in 2013) in surface water (rs = 0.58, p < 0.1) and pore water (rs = 0.76, p ≤ 0.05). This study revealed that PAHs and Mn are important pollutant stressors to mussels in the Clinch River and that they are largely being delivered through the Guest River tributary watershed. Accordingly, future conservation and management efforts would benefit by identifying, and ideally mitigating, the sources of PAHs, Mn, and other current or legacy mining-associated pollutants to the mainstem river and its tributaries.}, journal={SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT}, author={Cope, W. Gregory and Bergeron, Christine M. and Archambault, Jennifer M. and Jones, Jess W. and Beaty, Braven and Lazaro, Peter R. and Shea, Damian and Callihan, Jody L. and Rogers, Jennifer J.}, year={2021}, month={Jun}, pages={144757} }
 @article{buczek_archambault_gregory cope_heilman_2020, title={Evaluation of Juvenile Freshwater Mussel Sensitivity to Multiple Forms of Florpyrauxifen-Benzyl}, volume={105}, ISSN={["1432-0800"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-02971-1}, DOI={10.1007/s00128-020-02971-1}, number={4}, journal={BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Buczek, Sean B. and Archambault, Jennifer M. and Gregory Cope, W. and Heilman, Mark A.}, year={2020}, month={Oct}, pages={588–594} }
 @article{archambault_cope_kwak_2018, title={Chasing a changing climate: Reproductive and dispersal traits predict how sessile species respond to global warming}, volume={24}, ISSN={["1472-4642"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12740}, DOI={10.1111/ddi.12740}, abstractNote={AbstractAimStudies of species' range shifts have become increasingly relevant for understanding ecology and biogeography in the face of accelerated global change. The combination of limited mobility and imperilled status places some species at a potentially greater risk of range loss, extirpation or extinction due to climate change. To assess the ability of organisms with limited movement and dispersal capabilities to track shifts associated with climate change, we evaluated reproductive and dispersal traits of freshwater mussels (Unionida), sessile invertebrates that require species‐specific fish for larval dispersal.LocationNorth American Atlantic Slope rivers.MethodsTo understand how unionid mussels may cope with and adapt to current and future warming trends, we identified mechanisms that facilitated their colonization of the northern Atlantic Slope river basins in North America after the Last Glacial Maximum. We compiled species occurrence and life history trait information for each of 55 species, and then selected life history traits for which ample data were available (larval brooding duration, host fish specificity, host infection strategy, and body size) and analysed whether the trait state for each was related to mussel distribution in Atlantic Slope rivers.ResultsBrooding duration (p < .01) and host fish specificity (p = .02) were significantly related to mussel species distribution. Long‐term brooders were more likely than short‐term brooders to colonize formerly glaciated rivers, as were host generalists compared to specialists. Body size and host infection strategy were not predictive of movement into formerly glaciated rivers (p > .10).Main conclusionsOur results are potentially applicable to many species for which life history traits have not been well‐documented, because reproductive and dispersal traits in unionid mussels typically follow phylogenetic relationships. These findings may help resource managers prioritize species according to climate change vulnerability and predict which species might become further imperilled with climate warming. Finally, we suggest that similar trait‐based decision support frameworks may be applicable for other movement limited taxa.}, number={7}, journal={DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Archambault, Jennifer M. and Cope, W. Gregory and Kwak, Thomas J.}, editor={Ricciardi, AnthonyEditor}, year={2018}, month={Jul}, pages={880–891} }
 @article{archambault_bergeron_cope_lazaro_leonard_shea_2016, title={Assessing toxicity of contaminants in riverine suspended sediments to freshwater mussels}, volume={36}, ISSN={0730-7268}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.3540}, DOI={10.1002/etc.3540}, abstractNote={AbstractThe Clinch River in Virginia and Tennessee, USA, is well known for its diverse native freshwater mussel assemblages; however, notable declines in mussel populations in recent decades have prompted much concern and subsequent research. The authors examined the toxicity of recently deposited sediments on juveniles of the freshwater mussel Epioblasma brevidens by collecting time‐integrated sediment samples from the water column with sediment traps from 11 sites in the Clinch River basin, including 6 sites within an 88‐km reach deemed a “mussel zone of decline.” Mussels were exposed to the riverine sediments and to 3 control sediments for 28 d; survival, shell length, and biomass were then assessed. Sediment treatment (i.e., river location) had a significant effect on mussel survival (p < 0.01) and biomass (p = 0.02) but did not affect length (p = 0.37), and sediments from 2 of the tributaries were the most toxic. Inorganic and organic analyses of sediments indicated the presence of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at all sites. Manganese was negatively correlated with mussel survival and biomass, as was ammonia with survival and total organic carbon with biomass. Current land uses in the watershed indicate that fossil fuel mining and agriculture may be associated with elevated manganese and ammonia, respectively. The authors found that sediments collected with sediment traps over relatively short deployment durations can help elucidate recent contaminant influx and its potential for inducing toxicity in benthic organisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:395–407. © 2016 SETAC}, number={2}, journal={Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Archambault, Jennifer M. and Bergeron, Christine M. and Cope, W. Gregory and Lazaro, Peter R. and Leonard, Jeremy A. and Shea, Damian}, year={2016}, month={Aug}, pages={395–407} }
 @article{archambault_cope_kwak_2014, title={Influence of sediment presence on freshwater mussel thermal tolerance}, volume={33}, ISSN={["2161-9565"]}, DOI={10.1086/674141}, abstractNote={Abstract: 
 Median lethal temperature (LT50) data from water-only exposures with the early life stages of freshwater mussels suggest that some species may be living near their upper thermal tolerances. However, evaluation of thermal sensitivity has never been conducted in sediment. Mussels live most of their lives burrowed in sediment, so understanding the effect of sediment on thermal sensitivity is a necessary step in evaluating the effectiveness of the water-only standard method, on which the regulatory framework for potential thermal criteria currently is based, as a test of thermal sensitivity. We developed a method for testing thermal sensitivity of juvenile mussels in sediment and used the method to assess thermal tolerance of 4 species across a range of temperatures common during summer. Stream beds may provide a thermal refuge in the wild, but we hypothesized that the presence of sediment alone does not alter thermal sensitivity. We also evaluated the effects of 2 temperature acclimation levels (22 and 27°C) and 2 water levels (watered and dewatered treatments). We then compared results from the sediment tests to those conducted using the water-only standard methods. We also conducted water-only LT tests with mussel larvae (glochidia) for comparison with the juvenile life stage. We found few consistent differences in thermal tolerance between sediment and water-only treatments, between acclimation temperatures, between waterlevel treatments, among species, or between juvenile and glochidial life stages (LT50 range = 33.3–37.2°C; mean = 35.6°C), supporting our hypothesis that the presence of sediment alone does not alter thermal sensitivity. The method we developed has potential for evaluating the role of other stressors (e.g., contaminants) in a more natural and complex environment.}, number={1}, journal={FRESHWATER SCIENCE}, author={Archambault, Jennifer M. and Cope, W. Gregory and Kwak, Thomas J.}, year={2014}, month={Mar}, pages={56–65} }
 @article{archambault_bergeron_cope_richardson_heilman_corey_netherland_heise_2015, title={Sensitivity of freshwater molluscs to hydrilla-targeting herbicides: providing context for invasive aquatic weed control in diverse ecosystems}, volume={30}, ISSN={["2156-6941"]}, DOI={10.1080/02705060.2014.945104}, abstractNote={Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) is an invasive aquatic weed that has spread rapidly throughout the USA, especially in the southeast. A common control method is the application of aquatic herbicides, such as fluridone and endothall. However, there is limited documentation on the effects of herbicides commonly used to control hydrilla and other aquatic weeds on many non-target freshwater species and no published information exists on the toxicity of these herbicides to freshwater molluscs. We exposed juveniles (96 h) and glochidia (48 h) of the unionid mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea and adults (28 d) of Lampsilis fullerkati to a formulation of fluridone (Sonar – PR®) in laboratory toxicity tests. The early life stages of L. siliquoidea were also exposed to a formulation of the dipotassium salt of endothall (Aquathol – K®) in separate tests. Juveniles of the freshwater gastropod snail, Somatogyrus viriginicus (Lithoglyphidae), were exposed (96 h) to the Sonar – Genesis® fluridone formulation. Endpoints were survival (all species and life stages) as well as siphoning behavior and foot protrusion (adult mussels). Median lethal fluridone concentrations (LC50s) were 865 μg/L (95% CI, 729–1,026 μg/L) for glochidia (24 h), 511 μg/L (309–843 μg/L) for juvenile L. siliquoidea (96 h), and 500 μg/L (452–553 μg/L) for juvenile S. viriginicus (96 h). No mortality occurred in the 28-d exposure of adult L. fullerkati and we found no statistically significant effect of fluridone concentration on foot protrusion (p = 0.06) or siphoning behavior (p = 0.08). The 24-h LC50 for glochidia exposed to the dipotassium salt of endothall was 31.2 mg/L (30.3–32.2 mg/L) and the 96-h LC50 for juvenile mussels was 34.4 mg/L (29.3–40.5 mg/L). Freshwater molluscs were more sensitive to fluridone and endothall than most other species previously tested. Fluridone and endothall concentrations typically recommended for hydrilla treatment (5–15 μg/L and 1–5 mg/L, respectively) were not acutely toxic to the molluscs we tested and a 28-d exposure to fluridone was not lethal to adult mussels even at the highest concentration (300 μg/L), indicating minimal risk of short-term exposure effects.}, number={3}, journal={JOURNAL OF FRESHWATER ECOLOGY}, author={Archambault, Jennifer M. and Bergeron, Christine M. and Cope, W. Gregory and Richardson, Robert J. and Heilman, Mark A. and Corey, J. Edward, III and Netherland, Michael D. and Heise, Ryan J.}, year={2015}, pages={335–348} }
 @article{archambault_cope_kwak_2013, title={Burrowing, byssus, and biomarkers: behavioral and physiological indicators of sublethal thermal stress in freshwater mussels (Unionidae)}, volume={46}, ISSN={["1029-0362"]}, DOI={10.1080/10236244.2013.805891}, abstractNote={Recent research has elucidated the acute lethal effects of elevated water temperatures to glochidia (larvae), juvenile, and adult life stages of freshwater mussels (Order Unionida), but few studies have focused on sublethal effects of thermal stress. We evaluated the sublethal effects of elevated temperature on burrowing behavior and byssus production in juveniles, and on enzymatic biomarkers of stress in adults in acute (96 h) laboratory experiments in sediment, with two acclimation temperatures (22 and 27 °C) and two experimental water levels (watered and dewatered) as proxies for flow regime. Increasing temperature significantly reduced burrowing in all five species tested, and the dewatered treatment (a proxy for drought conditions) reduced burrowing in all but Amblema plicata. Production of byssal threads was affected most drastically by flow regime, with the probability of byssus presence reduced by 93–99% in the dewatered treatment, compared to the watered treatment (a proxy for low flow conditions); increasing temperature alone reduced byssus by 18–35%. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly affected by treatment temperature in the 27 °C acclimation, watered test (p = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively). Our results are important in the context of climate change, because stream temperature and flow are expected to change with increasing air temperature and altered precipitation patterns.}, number={4}, journal={MARINE AND FRESHWATER BEHAVIOUR AND PHYSIOLOGY}, author={Archambault, Jennifer M. and Cope, W. Gregory and Kwak, Thomas J.}, year={2013}, month={Jul}, pages={229–250} }
 @article{archambault_cope_kwak_2014, title={Survival and behaviour of juvenile unionid mussels exposed to thermal stress and dewatering in the presence of a sediment temperature gradient}, volume={59}, ISSN={["1365-2427"]}, DOI={10.1111/fwb.12290}, abstractNote={Summary


Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are a highly imperilled faunal group. One critical threat is thermal sensitivity, because global climate change and other anthropogenic activities contribute to increasing stream temperature and altered hydrologic flow that may be detrimental to freshwater mussels.

We incorporated four benthic environmental components – temperature, sediment, water level (a surrogate for flow) and a vertical thermal gradient in the sediment column – in laboratory mesocosm experiments with juveniles of two species of freshwater mussels (Lampsilis abrupta and Lampsilis radiata) and tested their effects on survival, burrowing behaviour and byssus production.

Increasing temperature diminished burrowing behaviour significantly in both species (P < 0.01), and the dewatered treatment significantly reduced burrowing in L. radiata, compared with that in the watered treatment. Increasing temperature also significantly reduced byssus production in both species (P < 0.01). Median lethal temperatures (LT50) ranged from 29.9 to 35.6 °C. Mussels did not burrow beneath the top stratum of sediment (0–2.5 cm) and thus did not use the available thermal refuge.

Our findings suggest that rising stream water temperature and dewatering may directly impact freshwater mussel abundance by causing mortality and may have indirect impacts via sublethal effects. Reduced burrowing capacity may hamper ability to escape predation or unfavourably high or low flows, and decreased byssus production may inhibit attachment and dispersal capabilities in juveniles.

}, number={3}, journal={FRESHWATER BIOLOGY}, author={Archambault, Jennifer M. and Cope, W. Gregory and Kwak, Thomas J.}, year={2014}, month={Mar}, pages={601–613} }