Asian clams: Change temperature of the water

Overall effectiveness category Likely to be beneficial
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

60%
Certainty

55%
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

All organisms will have an upper thermal tolerance and so raising water temperatures may offer a tool for management of Asian clams Corbicula spp. Such an approach may be especially suited to industrial facilities that generate an excess of heated water, such as power plants. Reducing water temperatures can also offer a possible management tool. Studies in the St. Clair River, USAreported very large winter die-offs of Corbicula fluminea (French & Schloesser 1996). Populations persisted in the waters immediately downstream of a power plant in which water temperature was relatively high.

French J.R.P. & Schloesser D.W. (1996) Distribution and winter survival health of Asian clams, Corbicula fluminea, in the St. Clair River, Michigan. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 11, 183-192.

Study locations

Key messages

A controlled laboratory study in the USA found that temperatures of 36°C or higher killed Asian clams within or after four days.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A controlled laboratory study conducted between 1976 and 1977 on specimens from a river in Virginia, USA (Cherry et al. 1980) found that exposure to temperatures of 36°C and higher killed Asian clams Corbicula fluminea. All clams were dead after either four days at 36°C or two days at 37°C compared with clams surviving in a control treatment at 25°C. Clams were placed in seven heated aquatic chambers, plus one control chamber. In total, 19 clams were placed in each chamber. Over a 24-hour period, infrared lamps raised chamber temperatures to 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 36 and 37°C. These temperatures were held for four days. A control group was maintained at 25°C. Mortality status of clams was checked and recorded.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Cherry D.S., Rodgers J.H, Graney R.L. & Cairns J. (1980) Dynamics and control of the Asiatic clam in the New River, Virginia. Bulletin of the Virginia Water Resources Center, 123, 1-72.

Please cite as:

Aldridge, D., Ockendon, N., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Some Aspects of Control of Freshwater Invasive Species. Pages 555-87 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Control of Freshwater Invasive Species

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