The consequences of this catastrophic decline of an entire family go beyond the loss of species.
Mussels serve critical trophic and non-trophic roles in the functioning of riverine ecosystems.
Because mussels can achieve very high densities and are filter feeders, they are important seston consumers and play a significant role in both energetics and particle dynamics in rivers. The living mussels and their spent shells in these beds provide habitat for other benthic macroinvertebrates, alter hydraulic and sediment dynamics at the benthic-water interface, and stabilize the substrate. Through their feeding activities mussels provide nutrients to the remainder of the benthos. Thus, the current decline in mussel species also represents a loss of critical habitat and food resources for other aquatic fauna, and may alter the ecosystem functioning in many North American rivers. In addition, there are likely benthic macroinvertebrates that have coevolved with mussel assemblages and are specifically dependent on them.