During a monitoring survey, a massive mussel bed was found and studied in the Gnily Rig River, Ukraine. The mussel bed was 25 cm thick and multilayered, with one of the greatest densities and biomass (wet weight) recorded so far in natural aggregations: up to 1,801.0 ± 175.4 ind./m² and up to 88.3 ± 20.7 kg/m², respectively. The site was surveyed periodically since 2009, and despite the temporal differences in the density (but not in biomass) the mussel bed was stable and should be considered for protection due to its high ecological and conservational value.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.