Long-term Trends in Ribbed Mussel (Geukenisa Demissa) Demographics in Georgia Salt Marshes
Faculty Mentor
John Carroll
Location
Russell Union Room 2084
Type of Research
On-going
Session Format
Oral Presentation
College
Jack Averitt College of Graduate Studies
Department
School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
Abstract
Ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) are ecosystem engineers and secondary foundation species in salt marsh habitats; they stabilize sediments, deposit nutrients, and increase marsh resilience to stressors. Although many studies explore their distribution, there is a lack of long-term studies on mussel demographics, which are critical to predict how mussel populations might change with future climate conditions. This study examines how patterns in size, abundance, growth rate, and predation of ribbed mussels is changing over spatiotemporal scales by leveraging long-term data from the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research (GCE LTER). From 2000-present, Geukensia populations were monitored annually at ten sites across the Altamaha, Doboy, and Sapelo Sounds in coastal Georgia. Mussels were collected in random quadrats at three locations of the mid marsh and creek bank areas at each site. Preliminary analysis suggests that both abundance and size of adult ribbed mussels is increasing over time throughout the domain. We selected the site with the highest abundance of mussels over time for more in-depth analysis, including growth rate calculations and predation prevalence. By comparing environmental and morphometric data across broad spatiotemporal scales, this study can help generate predictions of mussel growth, abundance, and varying ecosystem functions.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 9:45 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 10:00 AM
Recommended Citation
Nicholson, Brianna, "Long-term Trends in Ribbed Mussel (Geukenisa Demissa) Demographics in Georgia Salt Marshes" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 3.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/3
Long-term Trends in Ribbed Mussel (Geukenisa Demissa) Demographics in Georgia Salt Marshes
Russell Union Room 2084
Ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) are ecosystem engineers and secondary foundation species in salt marsh habitats; they stabilize sediments, deposit nutrients, and increase marsh resilience to stressors. Although many studies explore their distribution, there is a lack of long-term studies on mussel demographics, which are critical to predict how mussel populations might change with future climate conditions. This study examines how patterns in size, abundance, growth rate, and predation of ribbed mussels is changing over spatiotemporal scales by leveraging long-term data from the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research (GCE LTER). From 2000-present, Geukensia populations were monitored annually at ten sites across the Altamaha, Doboy, and Sapelo Sounds in coastal Georgia. Mussels were collected in random quadrats at three locations of the mid marsh and creek bank areas at each site. Preliminary analysis suggests that both abundance and size of adult ribbed mussels is increasing over time throughout the domain. We selected the site with the highest abundance of mussels over time for more in-depth analysis, including growth rate calculations and predation prevalence. By comparing environmental and morphometric data across broad spatiotemporal scales, this study can help generate predictions of mussel growth, abundance, and varying ecosystem functions.
