Biological collection specialists are divers who travel around the country relocating freshwater mussels and other vulnerable aquatic species before river restoration projects begin.
In September of 2024, a team of 20 divers scoured 40,000 square meters of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. In just two weeks, the team found, identified, marked, tagged, and relocated every native freshwater mussel within their search area.
The divers spent 8 hours a day systematically searching the bottom. Skin rashes from hours of daily immersion in wetsuits, chronic ear infections, and potentially dangerous wound infections are just a few of the job hazards.
Great Lakes Now spent a day underwater with the divers. Watch the segment to see first-hand what it’s like to be a biological collection specialist and learn why their work is so important.
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
The History of the Button Industry’s Impact on Freshwater Mussels
Great Lakes Moment: The imperiled mussels of the Detroit River
Featured image: Saving freshwater mussels. (Photo Credit: Great Lakes Now)
