Posted: Thursday, August 15, 2013

Dale Edwards, professor and chair of the Department of Biology at the University of Evansville, has published a new book, Mites of Freshwater Mollusks. Edwards co-authored the book with his colleague Malcolm Vidrine, a retired professor of biology at Louisiana State University-Eunice.

“Often the least among us most inform us, and these mites are living proof,” said Edwards. “These mites and their host mussels serve as an excellent example of the roles that little-known organisms play in the health and survival of natural areas. They also serve as indicator organisms that can be used to analyze the impact of various kinds of environmental changes.”

The book provides a summary of worldwide research on the mites parasitizing freshwater mollusks and integrates new data regarding the evolutionary relationships among these mites. The mollusks, mainly freshwater mussels, are also major topics of the book: These mussels are considered the most threatened freshwater organisms in the world, with many species either federally protected or extinct.

The book provides numerous ideas for future research for students and scientists, and it focuses on the theme of conserving, protecting, and preserving watersheds, which provide numerous services both for wildlife and for humans, including drinking water.

Mites of Freshwater Mollusks is available at Amazon.com.

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