The freshwater pearl mussel is critically endangered, with the youngest individuals in most populations being over 80 years old because the juvenile mussels aren't surviving. Research led by Louise Lavictoire, FBA’s Head of Science revealed why the earliest life stages are so vulnerable. Using scanning electron microscopy, the research provides one of the most detailed studies to date of how juvenile mussels develop after leaving their salmonid host fish.

In October, FBA staff visited the Cynrig and Clywedog hatcheries operated by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the locations of two out of the four breeding programmes for freshwater pearl mussels in the UK. The trip was an invaluable opportunity for knowledge exchange and cooperation between the FBA and NRW, to continuously learn and improve the success of freshwater pearl mussel propagation.

Here at the FBA Ark tagging freshwater pearl mussels is an important activity as part of our species recovery programme. The tagging allows us to assign a unique identification number to each of our mussels, so we can monitor their individual growth over time. Here we catch up with Jodie Warren, Assistant Kent Project Officer & Assistant Pearl Mussel Officer, and Samantha Bonny, River Kent Project Officer, to find out more about the freshwater pearl mussel tagging process.

This week the FBA reached a crucial milestone in our efforts to save the freshwater pearl mussel from extinction in England. On 23 July 2025 in the River Kent (Cumbria), we released our 5000th juvenile mussel from our conservation breeding programme, the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Ark, boosting the population in the River Kent from fewer than 10 individuals to over 100.

This summer, the first 1000 juvenile freshwater pearl mussels will be released into the River Kent as part of the LIFE R4ever Kent project. In preparation for this, all mussels must be tagged and placed into a flume system to prepare them for conditions they will experience in the River Kent.

At the Species Recovery Centre, the FBA has finished its annual "Exhaustive Surveys", a census which involves counting all mussels in the facility that are more than 5mm in length. Counts take place on every mussel rearing system and from this a representative sample will be taken to determine average lengths of the freshwater pearl mussel population at the FBA Ark.

Here we catch up with FBA’s Pearl Mussel Assistant, Jodie Warren, to hear about the daily activities at the FBA Ark species recovery sanctuary and the freshwater science making a vital contribution towards protecting vulnerable freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera).