Inventory of Freshwater Snails in the Upper Delaware River
Location
PANEL: Exploring Ecological Frontiers: Freshwater Snails, Plants, and Deep-Sea Sediments
Science Center A254
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-26-2024 2:00 PM
End Date
4-26-2024 3:00 PM
Research Program
National Park Service, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River
Abstract
The Delaware River, spanning four states in the Northeast, supports diverse ecosystems essential for millions of people and a multitude of wildlife species. Despite their significant ecological roles as predators, prey, and nutrient cyclers, freshwater snails have been largely overlooked in research, often not identified to the species level. In order to understand the needs of the community (conservation, impact of invasive species, etc.), the dynamics of the community must first be identified. From July to August of 2022, a 70 mi stretch of the Upper Delaware River, within the boundaries of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreation River National Park, was sampled using a kick net and hand sampling techniques at 30 locations (100m reach for each location). In 2022, over 10,000 snails from eight families were found. During this field season, it became evident that there were major taxonomic issues related to identification of invasive species, namely the Chinese and Japanese mysterysnails, Cipangopaludina chinensis and Cipangopaludina japonica. Tissue barcoding is complete, but data analysis is still ongoing, especially in regards to the 2023 field season. This research underscores the critical role of freshwater snails in Delaware River ecosystems and emphasizes the urgency of addressing taxonomic challenges, especially concerning invasive species management.
Keywords:
National Park Service, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River
Recommended Citation
Lieberman, Jules; Dapkey, Tanya; Weber, Andy; Guelzow, Emma; and Smith, Jeffrey, "Inventory of Freshwater Snails in the Upper Delaware River" (2024). Research Symposium. 13.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2024/presentations/13
Major
Biology
Project Mentor(s)
Tanya Dapkey, Drexel University
Andy Webber, National Park Service
Emma Guelzow, Drexel University
Arthur Bogan, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
2024
Inventory of Freshwater Snails in the Upper Delaware River
PANEL: Exploring Ecological Frontiers: Freshwater Snails, Plants, and Deep-Sea Sediments
Science Center A254
The Delaware River, spanning four states in the Northeast, supports diverse ecosystems essential for millions of people and a multitude of wildlife species. Despite their significant ecological roles as predators, prey, and nutrient cyclers, freshwater snails have been largely overlooked in research, often not identified to the species level. In order to understand the needs of the community (conservation, impact of invasive species, etc.), the dynamics of the community must first be identified. From July to August of 2022, a 70 mi stretch of the Upper Delaware River, within the boundaries of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreation River National Park, was sampled using a kick net and hand sampling techniques at 30 locations (100m reach for each location). In 2022, over 10,000 snails from eight families were found. During this field season, it became evident that there were major taxonomic issues related to identification of invasive species, namely the Chinese and Japanese mysterysnails, Cipangopaludina chinensis and Cipangopaludina japonica. Tissue barcoding is complete, but data analysis is still ongoing, especially in regards to the 2023 field season. This research underscores the critical role of freshwater snails in Delaware River ecosystems and emphasizes the urgency of addressing taxonomic challenges, especially concerning invasive species management.
