Mussel cultivation as a mitigation tool for eutrophic waters in Puget Sound, Washington.

Eutrophication, an excess of nutrients from anthropogenic sources, can lead to a range of environmental problems including hypoxia and loss of biodiversity. This study, a collaboration between University of Washington Tacoma and the Pacific Shellfish Institute, examined the potential of using mussel cultivation as a mitigation tool in eutrophic waters. Mussels are filter feeding bivalves that have the ability to remove nitrogen and other nutrients from the water through bioextraction. Artificial habitats similar to what is used in mussel farming were created in Budd Inlet Olympia, WA and in the Thea Foss Waterway Tacoma, WA to collect naturally occurring set by the native bay mussel Mytilus trossulus. The purpose of this study is to determine the viability of mussels as a tool for remediation in Puget Sound by monitoring their growth, biomass and nutrient content. We are examining how various factors such as location, depth, time of deployment, and season affect a range of parameters, in order to create a set of best practices for future mitigation work. Next steps include the composting of resulting biomass, and analysis for pollution uptake within the mussels.