Ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) filtration services are driven by seasonal temperature and site-specific seston variability

Ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) are ubiquitous intertidal invertebrates of eastern North American salt marshes, often living in close association with salt marsh cordgrass Spartina alterniflora. They are typically concentrated at the lower extent of the vegetated zone along tidal channels, but are also found across the marsh platform. As filter-feeding bivalves, ribbed mussels remove suspended micro-particulate matter and associated nutrients from the water column, potentially resulting in benefits to water quality. However, the magnitude of such ecosystem services may depend on temporal and spatial variation in the mussel's water clearance and particle filtration rates. The goal of this study was to identify sources of variation regarding the distribution of ribbed mussel filtration services.