David C Aldridge

University of Cambridge | Cam · Department of Zoology

Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) are often described as ecosystem engineers, with the capacity to alter abiotic habitats; this can facilitate certain macroinvertebrate taxa, increasing biodiversity and potentially altering community composition. Mussel species are often implicitly considered to be broad ecological equivalents, with similar...

The biodiversity‐disease relationship states that increased species richness leads to lower pathogen pressure (i.e. the dilution effect), an effect that erodes with biodiversity loss. However, whether losses of the dilution effect can trigger extinction cascades remains largely unexplored. To explore this idea, we consider declines in freshwater mu...

The expansion of mussel aquaculture is limited by the availability of spat and production on land is dependent on costly cultures of microalgae as feed. Substitution of algae with microencapsulated feeds can reduce feed contaminations, ease the storage and extend the shelf life, ensuring stable production of consistent quality at sustainable costs....

Bivalve mollusc meat—that from mussels, clams, and oysters—offers a highly sustainable and nutritious alternative to meat from other shellfish, fish, or livestock. However, bivalves are an unpopular mass market food relative to these other meat items, limiting our ability to reap potential environmental and health benefits. Hence, this study aimed...

Since their introduction to North America in the 1980s, research to develop effective control tools for invasive mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) has been ongoing across various research institutions using a range of testing methods. Inconsistencies in experimental methods and reporting present challenges for comparing da...

Small-scale octopus fisheries represent an underexplored source of nutrients and socioeconomic benefits for populations in the tropics. Here we analyse data from global seafood databases and published literature, finding that tropical small-scale octopus fisheries produced 88,000 t of catch and processed octopus in 2017, with a landed value of US$...

We identified 14 emerging and poorly understood threats and opportunities for addressing the global conservation of freshwater mussels over the next decade. A panel of 17 researchers and stakeholders from six continents submitted a total of 56 topics that were ranked and prioritized using a consensus-building Delphi technique. Our 14 priority topic...

A pioneering, quantitative study published in Journal of Animal Ecology in 1966 on freshwater mussel populations in the River Thames, UK, continues to be cited extensively as evidence of the major contribution that mussels make to benthic biomass and ecosystem functioning in global river ecosystems. Ecological alteration, as well as declines in fre...

Understanding how ecological communities are assembled remains a key goal of ecosystem ecology. Because communities are hierarchical, factors acting at multiple scales can contribute to patterns of community structure. Parasites provide a natural system to explore this idea, as they exist as discrete communities within host individuals, which are t...

Biological early warning systems (BEWSs) monitor the behaviour or physiology of living organisms as an indirect mechanism to sense local environmental changes, and have become a widely established tool for monitoring water pollution. Complementary to conventional chemical and physical techniques, their strength lies in the ability to continuously m...

Length–biomass equations are relatively easy and cost‐effective for deriving insect biomass. However, the exact relationship can vary between taxa and geographical regions. Semi‐aquatic bugs are abundant and are indicators of freshwater quality, but there are no studies investigating the effect of habitat disturbance on their biomass, although it i...

1. Invasive alien species are one of the major threats to global biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, natures contribution to people and human health. While scenarios about potential future developments have been available for other global change drivers for quite some time, we largely lack an understanding of how biological invasions might unfold in...

The use of systematic reviews to collate and summarise evidence is considered one of the great intellectual achievements of recent times. Evidence synthesis has had far-reaching impacts and has helped to inform decision-making in multiple fields. However, it also faces three problems: (i) reviews cannot be relevant to everyone, hampering decision-m...

Future dynamics of biological invasions are highly uncertain because they depend on multiple environmental, societal and socio-economic drivers. We adopted a qualitative scenario approach to explore the future of invasive alien species (IAS) in Europe and created an overall strategy for their management that considers different plausible future dev...

In Europe, a total of 20 freshwater mussel species are currently considered valid, of which 13 (65%) are classified as threatened or near threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of species. Given their precarious conservation status there is a pressing need to provide a roadmap for the conservation of th...

Parasite conservation is important for the maintenance of ecosystem diversity and function. Conserving parasites relies first on understanding parasite biodiversity and second on estimating the extinction risk to that biodiversity. While steps have been taken independently in both these areas, previous studies have overwhelmingly focused on helmint...

Plastic debris widely pollutes freshwaters. Abiotic and biotic degradation of plastics releases carbon-based substrates that are available for heterotrophic growth, but little is known about how these novel organic compounds influence microbial metabolism. Here we found leachate from plastic shopping bags was chemically distinct and more bioavailab...

Global expansion of bivalve aquaculture can drive sustainable protein production. Inland culture of mussel spat can play an important role in supporting extensive mussel farming. Nursery culture of bivalves is, however, dependent on nutritious, cost‐efficient, and more reliable diets for spat. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of dieta...

The management of invasive species requires analytical tools that can synthesise the increasing and complex information generated through risk assessment protocols. To that end, fault tree analysis (FTA) provides a means to conceptually map all of the events leading to a particular undesired scenario with associated probabilities and uncertainty. W...

Identification of ecosystem services, i.e. the contributions that ecosystems make to human well-being, has proven instrumental in galvanising public and political support for safeguarding biodiversity and its benefits to people. Here we synthe-sise the global evidence on ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalves, a heterogeno...

Parasites can indirectly affect ecosystem function by altering host phenotype, but the trait‐mediated impacts of parasitism at an ecosystem level remain poorly characterised. However, understanding the influence of parasites is central to understanding the ecosystem services provided by host species, especially in an era of global environmental cha...

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of different environments on the filtering rate (FR), mortality, and biodeposition (BD) of the freshwater mussel Unio douglasiae in bloom waters containing the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The mean FR of 19 selected individuals (shell length, 5.0-9.8 cm) was 0:30 ± 0:03 L g −1 h −1 (ran...

Early detection and rapid response are cornerstones of effective invasive species management. However, these strategies can be challenging to implement when the arrival of a non-native species has not been predicted, as may be the case when a species is discovered large distances from known populations. Brown marmorated stink bugs Halyomorpha halys...

Significance Ship movements related to fishing, tourism, research, and supply expose the Antarctic continent to human impacts. Until now, only rough estimates or industry-specific information have been available to inform evidence-based policy to mitigate the introduction of nonnative marine species. Antarctica’s Southern Ocean supports a unique bi...

It is now clear that the routine embedding of experiments into conservation practice is essential for creating reasonably comprehensive evidence of the effectiveness of actions. However, an important barrier is the stage of identifying testable questions that are both useful but also realistic to carry out without a major research project. We ident...

Slow growth in the bivalve mariculture sector results from production inefficiencies, food safety concerns, limited availability of convenience products and low consumer demand. Here we assess whether bivalves could meet mass-market seafood demand across the bivalve value chain. We explore how bivalve production could become more efficient, strateg...

Data on biomass is an important component of studying ecosystems, but measuring the weight of individual samples requires a lot of investment in time and equipment. Length-biomass equations provide an easy and cost-effective way of deriving biomass data for whole communities, but relationships vary between taxa and habitats. Semi-aquatic bugs are i...

The naiads, large freshwater mussels (Unionida), have very long life spans, are large-bodied, and produce thousands to millions of larvae (glochidia) which typically must attach to host fish tissues to metamorphose into a juvenile mussel. Glochidia develop within a female's marsupial gill demibranch, thus their number is restricted by female size....

The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including...

Isotopic analyses of the incrementally growing baleen in Mysticeti have been used to learn about their feeding and movement patterns. Using methods previously applied to Pacific minke whales, stable δ15N and δ13C isotope values were measured along the baleen plates of male and female minke whales from two locations in the Northeast Atlantic. The sa...

There is growing acknowledgement that human-induced change can push ecosystems beyond tipping points, resulting in the dramatic and sudden loss of vital ecosystem services. Invasive non-native species (INNS) are spreading rapidly due to anthropogenic activities and climate change and can drive changes to ecosystem functioning by altering abiotic co...

• Parasites can negatively affect hosts at individual, population, and species-level scales. However, the link between individual- and population-level impacts is often poorly understood. In particular, the population-level response to parasitism may alter wider ecosystem dynamics if animals with ecosystem engineering capabilities are infected. • H...

Presence–absence data holds less information about communities than abundance data (Blanchet et al. 2020). However, presence–absence data is often all community ecologists have to work with. The relationship between presence–absence and abundance data is especially relevant in parasitological studies, as it is often difcult to count parasites. Rece...

Societal biosecurity, measures built into everyday society to minimize risks from pests and diseases, is an important aspect of managing epidemics and pandemics. We aimed to identify societal options for reducing the transmission and spread of respiratory viruses. We used SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) as a case study...

With the biodiversity crisis continuing unchecked, we need to establish levels and drivers of extinction risk, and reassessments over time, to effectively allocate conservation resources and track progress towards global conservation targets. Given that threat appears particularly high in freshwaters, we assessed the extinction risk of 1428 randoml...

Freshwater mussels are one of the most endangered animal groups globally, making them a high conservation priority. Conservationists increasingly employ translocation or captive breeding procedures to support ailing populations, and the ecosystem engineering capabilities of mussels are being increasingly harnessed in bioremediation projects. Howeve...

Invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are an emerging threat to the functioning and management of freshwater ecosystems. Quagga mussels were first recorded in the UK in 2014 and have subsequently established at high densities in a number of major reservoirs. Through implementing a Progressive-Change BACIPS (Before-After-Control-...

Aquaculture has grown rapidly to play a crucial economic and social role and meet the increasing global demand for seafood. As aquaculture intensifies, there is increasing pressure to find more sustainable practices that save resources and reduce waste. Major wastes and by-products from aquaculture were quantified across a full range of farming typ...

1. Understanding how environmental drivers influence the assembly of parasite communities, in addition to how parasites may interact at an infracommunity level, are fundamental requirements for the study of parasite ecology. Knowledge of how parasite communities are assembled will help to predict the risk of parasitism for hosts, and model how para...

Bitterlings, a group of freshwater teleosts, provide a fascinating example among vertebrates of the evolution of brood parasitism. Their eggs are laid inside the gill chamber of their freshwater mussel hosts where they develop as brood parasites. Studies of the embryonic development of bitterlings are crucial in deciphering the evolution of their d...

Freshwater ecosystems provide essential resources and vital ecosystem services. These ecosystems exist in a delicate state of balance and are under increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures. One of the major anthropogenic threats to freshwater ecosystems is eutrophication that often leads to algal blooms, some of which may be extremely harmfu...

Multiple national and international trends and drivers are radically changing what biological security means for the United Kingdom (UK). New technologies present novel opportunities and challenges, and globalisation has created new pathways and increased the speed, volume and routes by which organisms can spread. The UK Biological Security Strateg...

The Unionidae represent an excellent model taxon for unravelling the drivers of freshwater diversity, but, phylogeographic studies on Southeast Asian taxa are hampered by lack of a comprehensive phylogeny and mutation rates for this fauna. We present complete female- (F) and male-type (M) mitogenomes of four genera of the Southeast Asian clade Cont...

Unprecedented rates of introduction and spread of non-native species pose burgeoning challenges to biodiversity, natural resource management, regional economies, and human health. Current biosecurity efforts are failing to keep pace with globalization, revealing critical gaps in our understanding and response to invasions. Here, we identify four pr...

• Bivalves are important ecosystem engineers, and there is emerging evidence that many species are afflicted with castrating parasites. Understanding the prevalence of these largely overlooked parasites is crucial in understanding the fundamental biology of bivalves, informing conservation efforts, and providing a wider understanding of host–parasi...

Note: Because of the publisher's and journal's policy, changes to published articles will only be made if the publication record is seriously affected by the academic accuracy of the published information: https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/authors/production_and_publication/changing-published-articles

Background Invasive alien plant species often have negative environmental and social impacts, such as loss of biodiversity and alteration of ecosystem services. As a result, managing the introduction, establishment, and abundance of invasive species is a major priority. To do this effectively, we need evidence on the effect of management interventi...

Coastal estuaries are especially vulnerable to the arrival and establishment of invasive aquatic species (IAS) as they are often the receiving locations of ship-based introductions. Rapid response tools, such as mechanical or chemical treatments to capture, remove, and contain of IAS, are needed to prevent subsequent spread into adjacent marine and...

We face a food crisis. Suboptimal diet is the biggest cause of death worldwide, food production the biggest greenhouse gas emitting sector, and by 2050 an extra 2.5 billion people need affordable nutrition. Current farming systems will fail to tackle this crisis, and there is an urgent need to diversify global food production and find effective sol...

The Viviparidae, commonly known as River Snails, is a dominant group of freshwater snails with a nearly worldwide distribution that reaches its highest taxonomic and morphological diversity in Southeast Asia. The rich fossil record is indicative of a probable Middle Jurassic origin on the Laurasian supercontinent where the group started to diversif...

The global bivalve shellfish industry makes up 25% of aquaculture, is worth USD $17.2 billion year−1, and relies upon a supply of juvenile bivalves produced by adult broodstock in hatcheries. Today large quantities of live algae are grown to feed broodstock at $220 kg−1, driving highly unsustainable energy and resource use. New advances in algal an...

Parasitic castration of bivalves by trematodes is common, and may significantly reduce the reproductive capacity of ecologically important species. Understanding the intensity of infection is desirable, as it can indicate the time that has passed since infection, and influence the host's physiological and reproductive response. In addition, it is u...

Over two billion people worldwide are micronutrient deficient, with regionally specific deficiencies. Fortification of food with micronutrients has become an industry standard for enhancing public health. Bivalve shellfish (e.g., oysters, clams, and mussels) provide the most sustainable source of animal protein on the planet, and the market is rapi...

Bivalve shellfish represent a nutritious and low-impact food source that is underutilized. New innovations in production in this sector could fulfil the protein needs of nearly one billion people in the most vulnerable global regions.

Freshwater mussels are a critically imperiled group of mollusks that play key ecological roles and provide important services to humans. The Ambleminae is the only subfamily of these mussels, endemic to North America. Complete mitogenomes have only been sequenced for two of five tribes of the subfamily. Pleurobema oviforme, Amblema plicata, and Pop...

Bivalve shellfish represent a nutritious and low-impact food source that is underutilized. New innovations in production in this sector could fulfil the protein needs of nearly one billion people in the most vulnerable global regions. Access link: https://rdcu.be/b5B00

Understanding how environmental drivers influence the construction of parasite communities, in addition to how parasites may interact at an infracommunity level, are fundamental requirements for the study of parasite ecology. Knowledge of how parasite communities are assembled will help to predict the risk of parasitism for hosts, and model how par...

The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including...

There is an immediate global need to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission, both in order to manage the ongoing pandemic and to assist with a phased transition to more normal societal conditions. We performed a solution scan to identify societal options for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission and spread. We read the literature, consulted experts in different...

The expansion of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) is a growing concern to the UK water industry because of their diverse impacts on water quality, infrastructure and eradication costs. New regulations reinforcing the industry's responsibilities beyond operational costs, coupled with continued range expansion and establishment of new IAS will increase d...

Identifying and establishing the relative importance of different anthropogenic pathways of invasive non-native species (INNS) introduction is critical for effective management of their establishment and spread in the long-term. Angling has been identified as one of these pathways. An online survey of 680 British anglers was conducted to establish...

Using a new fossil-calibrated mitogenome-based approach, we identified macroevolutionary shifts in mitochondrial gene order among the freshwater mussels (Unionoidea). We show that the early Mesozoic divergence of the two Unionoidea clades, Margaritiferidae and Unionidae, was accompanied by a synchronous split in the gene arrangement in the female m...

Invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the greatest drivers of ecological change. Typically, control uses chemical agents that often are ineffective, harmful to non-target organisms, and environmentally persistent. Bivalves are frequently high impact IAS, but have proven particularly hard to control due to their valve-closing response when exposed...

Invasive non-native species (INNS) with marine or brackish origins have become increasingly common occupying freshwater habitats. The transition of INNS from marine or brackish water into physiologically stressful freshwater environments may be facilitated by compensatory growth and elevated feeding rates. In this study, we investigate the capacity...

Profound changes to the species configuration of ecosystems globally during the 19th to 21st centuries, resulting from the introduction of neobiota, have produced a distinctive palaeontological signature in sedimentary deposits, here exemplified by those of the River Thames. Coring near Teddington Lock (ca. 4.3 m above sea level, ca. 89 km upstream...

Species extinctions are occurring at an unprecedented rate and there is a global need to understand whether conservation effort is appropriately allocated to protect those species at risk. In this study three major measures of global conservation effort across IUCN Red List Threats and Habitats were assessed; staff time spent by the largest cluster...

Endosymbionts can often have profound impacts on the growth, reproduction and survivorship of their hosts. Freshwater unionid mussels (Unionida) are important ecosystem engineers, and one of the most globally imperilled taxa, yet evidence concerning their endosymbiotic fauna remains patchy. Further, endosymbionts are not considered in an IUCN asses...

Synthetic Ecology is a novel concept describing the design of de novo ecological communities for a designated purpose. This study is a proof of concept for harnessing Synthetic Ecology in expanding the scale of commercially relevant micro algae (Chlorella vulgaris) cultivation using stable Synthetic Ecologies in open environments as opposed to vuln...