- Conor in the River
Freshwater pearl mussels may be the most boring things some have ever seen — as Bill Oddie alleged — but they are the stuff of Conor Wilson’s study + life. In Northern Ireland freshwater pearl mussels are under threat, from agricultural run-off, overfishing and pearl hunters. The mussels are big and boring, with gills, a stomach, and a foot, but no brain or personality. No matter their dullness, they matter a great deal to river life.
Conor explains his work with mussels — which he does for Quercus at Queen’s University Belfast. He’ll be spending a good time alone in the rivers of Northern Ireland, tracking down mussels, reintroducing new mussels into the environment, zapping fish, and avoiding the temptation to search for a fortune in pearls.
Another World 