July 14, 2024-About 70 percent of North American mussel species are listed as threatened and another dozen have gone extinct. That makes them one of the most endangered groups on Earth. Mussel populations are destroyed by urbanization and water quality degradation.* Dams cause population fragmentation which in turn leads to endangerment and extinction. Most of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers don’t have mussels. 
However, the Southeast is a global hotspot for freshwater mussels. In fact, the big and wild Apalachicola River is a safe place to call home for mussels. A small crew from Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s Slough Restoration team spent the weekend conducting freshwater mussel surveys, as well as, tagging endangered fat three ridge mussels** to track their movements. Mussel surveys are also known as mussel grubbing. Grubbing for mussels consists of laying down in a riverbed and plunging one’s hands into the muck to feel around for anything that feels like a hard, roundish object. Basically, you channel your inner hungry raccoon.
Our team spent 4 days of mussel grubbing in the mud, logs, rocks and sand. By Day 5 our hands were a bit beaten up, but beautifully exfoliated. Mussel grubbing also comes with its perks. What I thought was a muscle spasm after a day of mussel grubbing, was actually a hogchoker fish lodged in my pants that was trying to escape almost 30 minutes after I walked back to the boat. Hogchokers are a lot like 
flounders in that they are flat and can ‘stick’ to things easily. Typically it’s sticking to the substrate or bottom but sometimes a very soaked calf muscle will also work. I’m happy to report that the hogchoker (now named ‘Pants’) was completely fine and relieved just as much as I was to have it released and relocated.
Dr. Michael Gangloff presentation on Freshwater mussels of the lower Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers – a diverse and imperiled fauna (March 2021).
Apalachicola Comeback by USFWS.
**Info from FWC* on Florida’s Freshwater Mussels and Clams, “the Do’s and Don’ts.” Possessing or disturbing threatened or endangered species is prohibited by law. A permit is required for survey activities related to listed species.
By Cameron Baxley. Cameron serves as Riverkeeper at Apalachicola Riverkeeper. She can be reached at [email protected]
*From FWC: “More than 60 species of mussels and clams live in Florida’s freshwaters. They usually inhabit shallow and sandy bottoms of lakes and streams and are an important functional component of freshwater ecosystems. Their filter-feeding activity cleanses the water by removing bacteria, algae, and organic material. They are an important food source for many fish, birds, and mammals. Freshwater mussels and clams are affected by poor environmental conditions; therefore, their populations serve as valuable indicators of water quality and the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has protected 16 Florida mussel species by listing them as Threatened or Endangered. These listed species occur from the Suwannee River system north and west to the Georgia and Alabama borders. Possessing or disturbing listed species is prohibited and can result in substantial penalties. The listed species are illustrated in this pamphlet.”