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Index of Subjects --047d7b10ca55e00ce004f9a25f50 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 In salt water along the Northumberland Strait we often see mussel shells deeply piled into coves where wind and tide carry them, much like sand. On 17 May 2014 07:29, nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Jim > > Just to clarify, those are not living mussels in the first two photos. > They are single valves all oriented convex side up. I also thought they > were whole mussels that had been "uprooted" from the sediment at first. But > once I flipped a few over with a stick I realized they were empty single > (half) shells. > > Nancy > > On 2014-05-16, at 5:31 PM, Jim (James W.) Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> > wrote: > > > Nancy and Fred, the links worked for me for the three photos of Nancy's. > The first two seem to show living mussels or ones that died without being > eaten by predators like muskrats. The third photo shows opened shells of > dead (and eaten?) mussels, perhaps from last year? Cheers from Jim in > Wolfville. > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > >> From: nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com> > >> Date: May 16, 2014 5:10:17 PM ADT > >> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > >> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] lots of empty FW Mussel shells- why? > >> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > >> > >> Is everyone having problems seeing the photos? The links seem to be > working for me when I click on them. If so I will try to set them up again > or email the pictures to anyone interested. > >> > >> Lots of beaver on the lake. I have never seen a muskrat swim by but > that does not mean they are absent. > >> > >> Nancy > >> On 2014-05-16, at 4:59 PM, Fred Schueler <bckcdb@istar.ca> wrote: > >> > >>> On 5/16/2014 1:06 PM, David McCorquodale wrote: > >>>> Muskrats are important predators of freshwater mussels in eastern > North > >>>> America, including NS. Often they pile shells in middens. > >>>> > >>>> In Blacketts Lake and Pottle Lake in CBRM piles of shells of several > >>>> species of freshwater mussels, including the Yellow Lamp Mussel, are > >>>> obvious. > >>> > >>> * these URLs just took me to a general flckr site, not to the > individual photos. > >>> > >>> Muskrats and Beavers can process astonishing numbers of mussels, and > often leave the shells quite undamaged - and nonhuman mammals, with weak > connections of cultural memory can "discover" a food source and use it to > depletion for one generation with the descendents never learning about it, > giving the prey time to build up to high density. > >>> > >>> Freezing or anoxia can kill mussels, though they'd die buried in the > substrate, and wouldn't be expected to be on the beach this early - also > low water levels can cause mass mortality. Without being able to see the > pictures, I can't say what species these are, but if they're Anodonta or > Pyganodon "Floaters" the light-weight shells would be more likely to work > loose from the substrate and blow onto a lee shore. > >>> > >>> fred. > >>> ============================================== > >>> > >>>> > >>>> On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 1:35 PM, nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com > >>>> <mailto:nancypdowd@gmail.com>> wrote: > >>>> > >>>> Water levels have dropped just enough on L Torment to show about 6" > >>>> of beach in places now but the shore has been completely submerged > >>>> since last October. The number of mussel shells seen in these > >>>> pictures is unusual: > >>>> > >>>> At the end of the path they are visible as far as you can see out > >>>> into the water: > >>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/92981528@N08/14196083311/ > >>>> > >>>> And it is this way the whole way along the shore. Another view 40' > >>>> along the submerged beach: > >>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/92981528@N08/14012727849/ > >>>> > >>>> This side of the lake has the prevailing onshore winds and waves > and > >>>> the shells are starting to collect in the exposed pockets: > >>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/92981528@N08/14199406975/ > >>>> > >>>> Why so many empty mussel shells? Would the winter somehow have been > >>>> hard on them- ice or cold or oxygen levels? Doesn't look like > >>>> predation to me- too many shells. This is the first year I have > ever > >>>> seen anything like this. > >>>> > >>>> Any ideas? > >>>> > >>>> Nancy > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >>> > >>> -- > >>> ------------------------------------------------------------ > >>> Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad > >>> Daily Paintings - http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.com/ > >>> Vulnerable Watersheds - http://vulnerablewaters.blogspot.ca/ > >>> study our books - http://pinicola.ca/books/index.htm > >>> RR#2 Bishops Mills, Ontario, Canada K0G 1T0 > >>> on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44* 52'N 75* 42'W > >>> (613)258-3107 <bckcdb at istar.ca> http://pinicola.ca/ > >>> ------------------------------------------------------------ > >> > > > > -- Jamie Simpson Hantsport, NS --047d7b10ca55e00ce004f9a25f50 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">In salt water along the Northumberland Strait we often see= mussel shells deeply piled into coves where wind and tide carry them, much= like sand.</div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quo= te"> On 17 May 2014 07:29, nancy dowd <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:na= ncypdowd@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">nancypdowd@gmail.com</a>></span> w= rote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;borde= r-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> Hi Jim<br> <br> Just to clarify, those are not living mussels in the first two photos. They= are single valves all oriented convex side up. I also thought they were wh= ole mussels that had been "uprooted" from the sediment at first. = But once I flipped a few over with a stick I realized they were empty singl= e (half) shells.<br> <span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br> Nancy<br> </font></span><div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div class=3D"h5"><br> On 2014-05-16, at 5:31 PM, Jim (James W.) Wolford <<a href=3D"mailto:jim= wolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>> wrote:<br> <br> > Nancy and Fred, the links worked for me for the three photos of Nancy&= #39;s. The first two seem to show living mussels or ones that died without = being eaten by predators like muskrats. =C2=A0The third photo shows opened = shells of dead (and eaten?) mussels, perhaps from last year? =C2=A0Cheers f= rom Jim in Wolfville.<br> ><br> > Begin forwarded message:<br> ><br> >> From: nancy dowd <<a href=3D"mailto:nancypdowd@gmail.com">nancy= pdowd@gmail.com</a>><br> >> Date: May 16, 2014 5:10:17 PM ADT<br> >> To: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.n= s.ca</a><br> >> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] lots of empty FW Mussel shells- why?<br> >> Reply-To: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@cheb= ucto.ns.ca</a><br> >><br> >> Is everyone having problems seeing the photos? The links seem to b= e working for me when I click on them. If so I will try to set them up agai= n or email the pictures to anyone interested.<br> >><br> >> Lots of beaver on the lake. I have never seen a =C2=A0muskrat swim= by but that does not mean they are absent.<br> >><br> >> Nancy<br> >> On 2014-05-16, at 4:59 PM, Fred Schueler <<a href=3D"mailto:bck= cdb@istar.ca">bckcdb@istar.ca</a>> wrote:<br> >><br> >>> On 5/16/2014 1:06 PM, David McCorquodale wrote:<br> >>>> Muskrats are important predators of freshwater mussels in = eastern North<br> >>>> America, including NS. =C2=A0Often they pile shells in mid= dens.<br> >>>><br> >>>> In Blacketts Lake and Pottle Lake in CBRM piles of shells = of several<br> >>>> species of freshwater mussels, including the Yellow Lamp M= ussel, are<br> >>>> obvious.<br> >>><br> >>> * these URLs just took me to a general flckr site, not to the = individual photos.<br> >>><br> >>> Muskrats and Beavers can process astonishing numbers of mussel= s, and often leave the shells quite undamaged - and nonhuman mammals, with = weak connections of cultural memory can "discover" a food source = and use it to depletion for one generation with the descendents never learn= ing about it, giving the prey time to build up to high density.<br> >>><br> >>> Freezing or anoxia can kill mussels, though they'd die bur= ied in the substrate, and wouldn't be expected to be on the beach this = early - also low water levels can cause mass mortality. Without being able = to see the pictures, I can't say what species these are, but if they= 9;re Anodonta or Pyganodon "Floaters" the light-weight shells wou= ld be more likely to work loose from the substrate and blow onto a lee shor= e.<br> >>><br> >>> fred.<br> >>> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D<br> >>><br> >>>><br> >>>> On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 1:35 PM, nancy dowd <<a href=3D= "mailto:nancypdowd@gmail.com">nancypdowd@gmail.com</a><br> >>>> <mailto:<a href=3D"mailto:nancypdowd@gmail.com">nancypd= owd@gmail.com</a>>> wrote:<br> >>>><br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0Water levels have dropped just enough on L To= rment to show about 6"<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0of beach in places now but the shore has been= completely submerged<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0since last October. The number of mussel shel= ls seen in these<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0pictures is unusual:<br> >>>><br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0At the end of the path they are visible as fa= r as you can see out<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0into the water:<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.flickr.com/photos/9298= 1528@N08/14196083311/" target=3D"_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/9298= 1528@N08/14196083311/</a><br> >>>><br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0And it is this way the whole way along the sh= ore. Another view 40'<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0along the submerged beach:<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.flickr.com/photos/9298= 1528@N08/14012727849/" target=3D"_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/9298= 1528@N08/14012727849/</a><br> >>>><br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0This side of the lake has the prevailing onsh= ore winds and waves and<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0the shells are starting to collect in the exp= osed pockets:<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.flickr.com/photos/9298= 1528@N08/14199406975/" target=3D"_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/9298= 1528@N08/14199406975/</a><br> >>>><br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0Why so many empty mussel shells? Would the wi= nter somehow have been<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0hard on them- ice or cold or oxygen levels? D= oesn't look like<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0predation to me- too many shells. This is the= first year I have ever<br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0seen anything like this.<br> >>>><br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0Any ideas?<br> >>>><br> >>>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0Nancy<br> >>>><br> >>>><br> >>>><br> >>><br> >>><br> >>> --<br> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------<b= r> >>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta = Karstad<br> >>> Daily Paintings - <a href=3D"http://karstaddailypaintings.blog= spot.com/" target=3D"_blank">http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.com/</a>= <br> >>> Vulnerable Watersheds - <a href=3D"http://vulnerablewaters.blo= gspot.ca/" target=3D"_blank">http://vulnerablewaters.blogspot.ca/</a><br> >>> =C2=A0 study our books - <a href=3D"http://pinicola.ca/books/i= ndex.htm" target=3D"_blank">http://pinicola.ca/books/index.htm</a><br> >>> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 RR#2 Bishops Mills, Ontario, Canad= a K0G 1T0<br> >>> =C2=A0on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44* 52'N 75* 42&= #39;W<br> >>> =C2=A0 <a href=3D"tel:%28613%29258-3107" value=3D"+16132583107= ">(613)258-3107</a> <bckcdb at <a href=3D"http://istar.ca" target=3D"_bl= ank">istar.ca</a>> <a href=3D"http://pinicola.ca/" target=3D"_blank">htt= p://pinicola.ca/</a><br> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------<b= r> >><br> ><br> <br> </div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><div><br></div>-- <br>= <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Jamie Simpson<br></div>Hantsport, NS<br></div> </div> --047d7b10ca55e00ce004f9a25f50--
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