Mussels may indicate Delaware River cleaner than thought

By KATHY MATHESON Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Scientists have discovered several uncommon species of mussels in the Delaware River, indicating the urban waterway may be cleaner than people think.

The mussels were found between Chester, Pa., and Trenton, N.J., one of the busiest segments of the industrial river that includes Philadelphia, according to Danielle Kreeger, science director for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.

Two of the seven species discovered — the alewife floater and tidewater mucket — were previously thought to no longer exist in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Kreeger said Wednesday.

“These beds of freshwater mussels — when they’re naturally dense and abundant like they should be — are very, very important for water quality and human health,” she said.

Mussels provide crucial balance to the ecosystem by stabilizing stream beds and filtering out certain types of contaminants and bacteria from the water. But their populations nationwide have been devastated by water pollution and degraded habitats, Kreeger said.

“It’s something that not many folks are aware about. They look like rocks,” Kreeger told The Associated Press. “But ... they’re functioning like natural waste-treatment plants in our streams.”

The Delaware River mussels were found over the summer in a joint effort with Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences.