Bivalve Impacts in Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems

Bivalve molluscs are abundant in marine and freshwater ecosystems and perform important ecological functions. Bivalves have epifaunal or infaunal lifestyles but are largely filter feeders that couple the water column and benthos. Bivalve ecology is a large field of study, but few comparisons among aquatic ecosystems or lifestyles have been conducted. Bivalves impact nutrient cycling, create and modify habitat, and affect food webs directly (i.e., prey) and indirectly (i.e., movement of nutrients and energy). Materials accumulated in soft tissue and shells are used as environmental monitors. Freshwater mussel and oyster aggregations in rivers and estuaries are hot spots for biodiversity and biogeochemical transformations. Historically, human use includes food, tools, currency, and ornamentation. Bivalves provide direct benefits to modern cultures as food, building materials, and jewelry and provide indirect benefits by stabilizing shorelines and mitigating nutrient pollution. Research on bivalve-mediated ecological processes is diverse, and future synthesis will require collaboration across conventional disciplinary boundaries.