Zebra Mussels

Zebra Mussels

Zebra mussels are a stark example of the explosive growth potential of non-native species. Zebra mussels were first discovered in the Great Lakes in the 1960s. Just one year after introduction, their population was estimated at densities of 35,000 per square yard (30,000 per square meter). Many scientists now consider the ecosystem changes caused by zebra mussels to be more significant than the changes caused by nutrient and toxic loadings combined.

The native distribution of the species is the Black Sea and Caspian Sea in Eurasia.They are believed to have been transported to the Great Lakes via ballast water from a transoceanic vessel. The ballast water, taken on in a freshwater European port was subsequently discharged into Lake St. Clair, near Detroit, where the mussel was discovered in 1988. Since that time, they have spread rapidly to all of the Great Lakes and waterways in many states, as well as Ontario and Quebec.

They disrupt the ecosystems by monotypic colonization, and damage harbors and waterways, ships and boats, and water treatment and power plants. Water treatment plants were initially hit hardest because the water intakes brought the microscopic free-swimming larvae directly into the facilities.Zebra mussels have had extensive economic impacts. According to a 1995 Ohio Sea Grant study, large water users on the Great Lakes spend an annual average of $350,000 to $400,000 per user just to clear zebra mussels from their intake pipes. The mussels are also affecting the tourism industry, as their sharp-shell remnants clutter beaches and are encrusting historically significant shipwrecks throughout the Great Lakes. Quagga mussels, a near relative of the infamous zebra mussel, are able to survive in deeper waters and different sediment types, effectively expanding the infestation to new areas of the lakes.

Concerns:
When an invasive species enters an ecosystem, it can have an impact on the species that are present, on important habitats, or even on the ecosystem itself. Concern arises when an invasive species changes the system for the worse, either by reducing or eliminating populations of native species, or by otherwise changing the way the ecosystem works.
These changes have made the invasion of alien species a major global problem. If organisms were not able to move beyond their normal ranges, each part of the world would have a unique array of plants, animals, and micro-organisms. But as species move from one area of the world to another, sometimes squeezing out the competition, different places in the world become more alike in their biology.

Slowing the spread:
The problem of invasive species is so large that it cannot be properly dealt with unless groups and countries work together to monitor the progress of invasive species and come up with solutions. Experts from many countries are now cooperating on programs like the Global Invasive Species Program to help develop a worldwide plan to deal with this problem.

In Canada, a comprehensive national plan to address the threat of invasive species, including invasive aquatic and terrestrial animal and plant species, is now being developed through the collaboration of federal, provincial, and territorial governments. In addition, many government and nongovernment groups run projects to monitor and control invasive alien species. For example, Environment Canada’s EcoAction program supports community projects across the country to monitor and eradicate Zebra mussels and other invasive species.

Make a decision:
To get away from the zebra mussels its really hard because they procriate really fast, but one thing is to tr to get these species away from the lakes and rvers where they are, some way other than poisoning the water, try to clean the water from the Zebra mussels as much as possible.