Dr. Chris Barnhart, professor of biology, received two awards in order to study the effects of toxicity and ingestion of suspended materials on native freshwater mussels.
The first grant of $39,949 from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) will fund his project “Developing Methods for Laboratory Culture of Diverse Species of Freshwater Mussels.” The purpose of this project is to develop and refine methods for testing toxicity in mussels as a result of pollutants and determine a more long-term approach to addressing the response of various native freshwater mussel species to specific chemicals and toxicants.
This research was supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number G13AC00073 from the USGS. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views if the USGS.
The second award of $19,998 from Marrone BioInnovations was a continuation grant, funding Barnhart’s research “Testing for Lethal and Sublethal Effects of Zequanox Suspensions of Native Freshwater Mussels.” Under Barnhart’s mentorship, biology graduate student Madeline Pletta tested a new biologically friendly molluscide, Zequanox, to discover whether the product was safe to native mussels while still being effective against invasive species like the zebra mussel, which can clog pipes.
For more information, contact Barnhart at (417) 836-5166.