Propagation and culture of freshwater mussels has been identified as important to their conservation. Though some propagation had been done previously in North Carolina, it was done on a small scale and for experimental purposes only. The purpose of this project was to further the science of mussel propagation and culture and to increase the available resources to facilitate growout. During the project, we increased our lab capabilities and propagated 10 mussel species native to North Carolina. New host fish were determined for several of these species. Raceways for growout were established and evaluated at two state hatcheries, and we were able to culture 4 species to a size suitable for stocking. Additionally, progress was made in maintaining survival of some rare species which previously proved difficult to maintain in captivity. We worked to identify genetic markers, called microsatellites, in one species of mussel to facilitate tracking of propagated animals post-release.
