Runoff and Occurrence of Mud Snails

Using visual data of estuarine shorelines from unoccupied aircraft around mainland areas in Carteret County, compare occurrence of mud snails (Illynassa obsoleta) and obvious areas of point source runoff. Mud snails are sensitive to tri-butyl tin, a byproduct of road traffic and runoff and over time populations can disappear in areas where they should be abundant.

Authors: Amy Sauls; EARTH Satellite Workshop, August 16, 2016, Beaufort

Lesson Resources

• Lesson Plan (Word | PDF)
• Research articles:
  • The Biocide Tributyltin Reduces the Accumulation of Testosterone as Fatty Acid Esters in the Mud Snail (Ilyanassa obsoleta)
  • Eastern Mudsnail (Ilyanassa Obsoleta) As A Paleoenvironmental And Sea-Level Indicator Along The Northern Atlantic Seaboard