Freshwater mussels are the most imperiled group of animals in North America. About 70% of the 300 native species are considered extinct, endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Freshwater mussels are a renewable resource, providing signicant ecological and economic benefits to the Nation. Mussels serve as a food resource for many animals; they improve water quality by filltering contaminants, sediments, and nutrients; and their shells are used in producing cultured pearls.Their declines may be a signal of critical problems in river ecosystems.

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Landscape analysis of freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River System