The research group found that in rivers where the mussels were present, there was a significant difference in ammonia as well as nitrate in the biofilm compared to streams where no mussels were present. The bacteria belonging to Bacteroidales in Baceroidetes and Clostridiales in Firmicutes were predominantly found in the samples where the mussels were present. The mussels may help alleviate nitrogen deficiencies by playing a role in the distribution, storage, and recycling of nutrients. The mussel and no-mussel sites were similar in size and water chemistry.
Professor Yutaka Uyeno hopes that this study confirms the notion that all life’s significance can be evidenced with quantitative, scientific devices. We still have much to learn about the role of biodeposits in nutrient dynamics. More intensive investigations are needed to clarify the link between freshwater pearl mussels and their ecosystems. Only in the rivers where the mussels are, were bacteria diverse.
For more information, please read: Biofilm Bacterial Dynamics and Changes in Inorganic Nitrogen Density Due to the Presence of Freshwater Pearl Mussels in the journal, mSphere 00834-21.