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Up until about 80 years ago it was believed that hard water was inimical to Margaritifera margaritifera . Once found in the calcium–rich waters of the Barrow, Nore and Suir rivers, the hard–water form of M. margaritifera has become extinct in all but one of these rivers in the past 50 years. The surviving depleted population in the Nore is threatened with the same fate. In an experiment to test the hypothesis that the species was not strictly calcifuge, specimens were transferred from a soft–water river to the hard-water Nore and then returned to their natal water after six months. An examination of the mussel's distribution in Ireland shows that, as well as living in its usual soft-water habitat, it lives in rivers of varying degrees of hardness; 21% of the site occurrences in southern Irish rivers fall within the range of what could be described as slightly hard to hard waters. Other evidence presented, including locations where M. margaritifera has become extinct, points to it being formerly relatively widely distributed in moderately hard waters throughout Ireland. The mussel, which is protected under national and EU legislation, appears to be most threatened in its hard-water habitats. The study findings may have important positive implications for any proposed restocking programmes.
Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy – Royal Irish Academy
Published: May 1, 2006
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