April 29th 2004:

Carson Stringfellow -- Southwest Georgia's Mussel Man

Carson Stringfellow is a man who is passionate about mussels - and not the kind you find in the local gym. This extraordinary "mussel man" from southwest Georgia specializes in locating native bivalves in local streams, and because of his volunteer efforts to improve the environment, he was recently recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Georgia Ecological Services sub-office in Columbus.

Stringfellow has trained local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists since 1998 in techniques for surveying local streams and accurate mussel identification. Skills that are invaluable as these biologists advise planners and developers how to best complete state and federal construction projects without harming stream quality or endangered species.


Stringfellow even finds time to visit streams on weekends for his own benefit, despite a full-time job with Swift Denim in Columbus and a part-time teaching position at Columbus State University, Four years ago, while searching Goat Rock Reservoir, Carson spotted a federally threatened purple bank climber, a species not seen on that area of the Chattahoochee River for over 150 years. "I feel like an explorer," says Carson, "Every time I reach down and feel a mussel, I don't know what I'm going to find."

Mussel surveys often means wading and swimming in a dark, muddy stream in southwest Georgia. Finding specimens means kneeling and mucking across stream bottoms with fingers and hands, sight unseen. Biologist Sandy Abbott has joined Stringfellow on several mussel-finding missions, and says each trip is a true teaching experience. "He's absolutely irreplaceable, and genuinely concerned about mussels and the continued existence of them."

Mussels are a food source for many creatures including fish, birds, and raccoons. These small, sedentary creatures sitting in their two shells are also important at improving water quality in streams and rivers. Mussels feed themselves by siphoning or filtering water through their gills, separating solid particles from the surrounding water. Through this filtering process, they feed themselves, but also remove pollution from the surrounding water or stream.

Unfortunately, environmentally sensitive mussels are threatened as pollution increases in Georgia's streams and rivers. Describing how mussels are indicators of local stream conditions, Stringfellow says, "Finding freshwater mussels is like finding a canary in a coal mine. If they're in your water, you can be confident you've got good water quality."

Stringfellow continues to volunteer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including at the recent RiverFest celebration in Columbus. He also works through a cooperative agreement on mussel projects with the West Georgia Ecological Services Sub Office and the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery.

-End-

Additional mussel sources:
http://midwest.fws.gov/mussel/teacher_resources.html
http://training.fws.gov/library/Pubs/mussels_poster.pdf
http://news.fws.gov/mussels.html