Author(s): Donatella Termini
Linked Author(s): Donatella Termini
Keywords: Rivers; Flow velocity; Turbulence; Gravel; Mussel
Abstract: Freshwater mussels live at the sediment–water interface and are often encountered both in sand bed and in gravel bed rivers. Freshwater mussels play an important role in fluvial environments by increasing the sustainability of stream ecosystems (Marion et al., 2014). Literature studies (Vaughn et al., 2008; Hajisafarali et al., 2022) indicate that they contribute to the filtration of suspended material and can be considered as bioindicators for water quality. The present paper presents preliminary results of an experimental study investigating the flow and turbulence characteristics around an isolated mussel over a gravel-bed flume. The data were collected in a straight laboratory flume both in absence and in presence of an isolated mussel (Unio elongatulus), either dead or live, aligned with the incoming flow. The results show that the presence of the mussel enhances the effects determined by the rough-bed on the kinematic characteristics of flow. The mussel’s filtration capacity affects the turbulence characteristics of flow and the distribution of the specific downstream flux of mass.
Year: 2024