EAST ALTON – The Illinois RiverWatch program is in search of an intern from Aug. 18 to Nov.11, 2022 to support the Biodiversity of Freshwater Mussels project. 

The intern will work with the National Great Rivers Research and Education (NGRREC^sm) staff and citizen scientists during a weekend field trip to help capture, weigh, measure and release freshwater mussels. During this time, tissue samples will be taken from select mussel species.

“This is a great opportunity for an undergraduate student to participate in a program that combines conservation of threatened species with genetic analysis using world-class technology,” said Danelle Haake, RiverWatch director and stream ecologist.

The intern will then work with staff at the Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG) to process the tissue samples. The resulting data will be analyzed to understand patterns of genetic diversity, including the potential for declines in genetic diversity due to inbreeding, genetic bottlenecks or genetic drift.

This position is paid and the project is funded by the Living Earth Collaborative. 

Visit https://forms.gle/bDqQYwx2aF23KB2y6 to apply or contact Haake at dhaake@lc.edu with questions.

National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠)

Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, NGRREC is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities.