Lullaby For Depressed River Mussels

The sound installation project, based on research, aims to create a lullaby for the endangered Depressed River Mussel. Human intervention and water regulation in the Biesbosch National Park, combined with noise pollution from ferries and motor vehicles, greatly affect freshwater mussels, which depend on clean, oxygenated water and stable sandy beds.

Research shows they are highly sensitive to anthropogenic noise, with low-frequency sounds causing stress, though they respond positively to natural sound. The installation uses hydrophone recordings of ferry noise and crushed mussel shells, combined with a sung folk lullaby, to create a poetic, ASMR-inspired experience. Sensory buttons made from latex shell casts trigger sound changes via Arduino, played through waterproof speakers hidden in 3D-printed shell boxes. A hydrophone allows to engage with the mussels’ perspective, exploring a speculative experience.