Protect Your Shoreline With An Itasca Waters Shoreland Advisor

Freshwater Mussels of Minnesota

Freshwater mussels and other bivalves are among the most overlooked yet ecologically important organisms in lakes and rivers. This talk explores their unique life cycles, their role in filtering and improving water quality, and what their presence reveals about ecosystem health. We’ll also discuss the threats they face—from habitat loss to invasive species—and why protecting native mussels is essential to sustaining clean water, biodiversity, and resilient freshwater systems.

Presented by: Dr. Bernard Sietman is a malacologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Center for Aquatic Mollusk Programs in Lake City, where he works on native mussel conservation and recovery. His past and current projects include statewide mussel surveys, long-term monitoring, assessing mussel responses to stream restoration, and studying the life history of rare mussel species.