The Asiatic Clam

The Asiatic Clam is officially called the Corbicula fluminea and is a species of freshwater clam. It is an aquatic bivalve mollusk . This species originated in Asia, but it has been introduced in many parts of the world like Europe and North America.

These clams feed primarily on phytoplankton (algae), which they filter from the muddy bottom of streams, lakes, and canals. They prefer to live in sand or gravel substances, in areas with running water.

Asiatic clams a hermaphroditic, which means that one clam produces both eggs and sperm. Thus, they are capable of self-fertilization. Yet they can also release sperm into the water that can be captured by other clams for the fertilization of eggs. One clam can produce as many as 70,000 larvae per year.

These clams, due to their invasiveness, can cause biofouling. Biofouling is the impairment of something as a result of the growth of a living organism or living organisms. Too many clams in one area can result in the clogging of pipes and canals, which damages power plants of water treatment centers.

This species is known as an invasive species. This means they multiply in numbers very quickly, and can grow to dominant a habitat.

Spanish Flu 1918

The 1918 flu pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, spread around the world was an severe influenza pandemic that spread around the world. Unlike in most flu outbreaks, most of the victims of the Spanish flu were healthy young adults (like me!?). In normal flu pandemics, victims are usually the young, the weak, or the elderly. This pandemic resulted in the deaths of 50-100 million people and remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history. 10 to 20 percent of the people infected died from the disease.

World War 1 is credited with helping the flu spread. Close quarters and troop movements quickened in speed and increased in number its transmission.