Testing the detection potential of the common river mussel (Mollusca: Unio crassus) using the e-DNA method and its purification potential in watercourses in Lower Austria

The European-wide important mussel population of Unio crassus in the Amstettner Mühlbach is being analysed using the e-DNA method from water samples. The orientation of the project is both fundamentally orientated and also includes approaches to solutions for applied questions. Module 1 (Optimisation of the documentation of FFH species in a larger spatial context) tests and evaluates e-DNA samples for their usability in the context of nature conservation issues such as the occurrence of protected species, e.g. in acute water interventions such as flood protection structures, etc., as well as an essential tool for field mapping of protected organisms. Module 2 - Impact of mussel populations on aquatic ecology issues such as purification performance and effects on the nutrient content of watercourses is intended to deepen basic knowledge of ecosystem services in the context of nature-based solutions and is anchored more in basic research.