UNIVERSITY RELATIONS 902 PRICES FORK ROAD UNIVERSITY GATEWAY CENTER, SUITE 2100 BLACKSBURG, VA 24061
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
SUMMER 2022 VOL. 44, NO. 3
PAID
LYNCHBURG, VA PERMIT NO. 542
magazine
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
SUMMER 2022
magazine
CLEAN WATER PROPAGATORS
J O I N U S A P R I L 1 4 -1 6 , 2 0 2 3 F O R T H E
BLACK ALUMNI REUNION A L U M N I .V T. E D U / B A R H O S T E D BY T H E B L A C K A L U M N I S O C I E T Y
AT THE VIRGINIA TECH FRESHWATER MOLLUSK CONSERVATION
A L U M N I .V T. E D U / V T B A S
V T M A G .V T. E D U
Center, in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, researchers raise mussels in tanks until they’re about 20 to 30 millimeters and then stock them in streams with depleted mussel populations. Freshwater mussels are filter-feeding animals. They take in water through their siphons and remove pollutants, which improves the health of streams and rivers. Seventy percent of all freshwater mussel fauna is threatened or endangered, and this center’s role is to conserve through hatchery and propagation. VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY
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VT.EDU/CLEANWATER
