The Strange Life, Death and Reproductive Cycle of an Endangered Mussel
From: WFPL News
Length: 03:30
Reporter Erica Peterson went along with state and federal biologists on a trip to the Green River to reintroduce the pink mucket mussel to their natural habitat. The mucket is endangered partly because of pollution--and partly because of a very unusual sex life that relies on attaching their larvae to bass.
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Piece Description
Reporter Erica Peterson went along with state and federal biologists on a trip to the Green River to reintroduce the pink mucket mussel to their natural habitat. The mucket is endangered partly because of pollution--and partly because of a very unusual sex life that relies on attaching their larvae to bass.
Transcript
Studio lead: Tigers, grizzly bears, sea turtles and humpback whales have long been mascots of endangered species. But then…there's the pink mucket (MUCK-it) mussel, which once peppered river bottoms in Kentucky, but has since been decimated by pollution.
Now, scientists are now hoping to re-establish healthy populations of the mussels. WFPL’s Erica Peterson went along with a team to the Green River.
21228MUSSEL FEATURE 3:30 SOQ
NAT SOUND OF SPLASHING
McGREGOR (1008):
“You better not get on my right side! Stand on this side because as soon as I blow my snorkel, you’ll be in the direct path of my water.”
ERICA:
Monte McGregor is going under. Into the Green River, just outside of Mammoth Cave National Park.
NAT: COMING BACK UP
ERICA:
Every time he comes up, McGregor's colleagues hand him four baby mussels to push into the river bed. The mussels are tiny…a little bit smaller t...
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