Paleoclimatic and Environmental Indicators in Mississippi River Mollusks.
 
Many documented studies have been completed on marine mollusks to determine paleoclimatic and environmental influences on these animals. This study proposes to examine related effects on the fresh water species in the Mississippi river environment. In this study's initial stages, the procedures and techniques used to measure growth, analyze trace element geochemistry, and access the the potential effects of pollution from the river are just being established. The mollusk shells used for these experiments were collected as live specimens from the Hidden Falls area of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, MN. Additional samples will be gathered in Hastings, MN for comparison of their geochemistry, specifically looking for indication of the effects of the Twin Cities' waste water disposal and other contributors of pollutants in the Mississippi River. My job was to design effective methods of studying the sample shells, such as creating acetate peels of the sectioned mollusks and making thin sections of the shells. Measurements of the shell's growth increments were then recorded and graphed for comparison with future samples.