Zebra mussel why is it a problem

Zebra mussels can reduce native mussel populations by attaching to them, hindering their movement, feeding and respiration. Zebra mussels also may contain high concentrations of toxic materials that will harm or kill the fish and wildlife that consume them. Decaying mussels wash ashore littering beaches and creating a noxious odor.

Residential, Industrial and Recreational Impacts Zebra mussels can clog the large-scale raw water intake pipes of municipal drinking water plants, and the small-scale water intake pipes of private homes and cottages, causing lost pumping ability, obstructed valves, obnoxious smells from decaying mussel flesh, increased corrosion of cast iron pipes, and safety hazards if sprinkler or hydrant systems are clogged and fail to deliver fire-fighting water.

Swimming areas become abandoned due to sharp-edged shells washing up on shore from storms, colonization on rocks near the shoreline, and noxious odors from decomposition of mussels. Boats may overheat due to zebra mussels blocking engine cooling water intakes. Mussels attached to hulls can increase drag, therefore increasing fuel consumption.

Historic, sunken ships and artifacts may become completely obscured by zebra mussel colonies growing on them. Discover the wonders of Lake George and the challenges to keeping it clean and protected. Join us on our Floating Classroom with programs for adults and students. Learn more about our Educational Programs that we use to share the message of Lake protection and conservation, explore land use information all around the Lake George Watershed in our Lake George Watershed Data Atlas , and dig deeper into our Lake George Science resources:.

Lake George Water Quality Overview. Invasive Species Overview. You can read about the Lake George Lake Steward program and the results here. Contribute Now. Skip to content Zebra Mussel.

What are Zebra Mussels? How To Identify the Zebra Mussel Zebra mussels look like small clams with a yellowish or brownish D—shaped shell, usually with both dark and light-colored stripes, which can vary in intensity. Many native mollusk species are at risk of becoming extinct or endangered because of zebra mussels. Even slow-moving crayfish have been found covered with zebra mussels.

Zebra mussels contribute to biomagnification—the toxins that they filter out of the water are concentrated in their bodies, and passed on to their predators. Biomagnification can be a problem for fisherman who eat these fish. The 1 liter of water they filter each day contains a lot of phytoplankton and algae which used to be a food source for native species! Over a period of three years the water clarity in Lake Michigan increased from a maximum visible depth of 13 feet to 31 feet because of zebra mussels.

Zebra Mussels Lower Water Quality. Predators of the zebra mussel include the round goby, diving duck, and the freshwater drum. Because there are so few predators and because zebra mussels reproduce at a rapid pace, predators barely put a dent in the zebra mussel population and are therefore not a viable solution. A round goby bottom pictured with a Bass for size comparison.

A water intake pipe clogged with Zebra Mussels. Factories, power plants, and water treatment plants all have water intake pipes. Zebra mussels colonize the edge of these pipes and eventually completely block off flow. Chang, an environmental water engineer and a professor in the civil engineering department at Ohio University, has worked for several years on controlling zebra mussels.

Here is his reply: "The invasion of zebra mussels to the Great Lakes came as a surprise to scientists at first. Since , the debate has been over how to keep them from the problem areas by chemical or mechanical means. While the debate goes on, water agencies and industries are busy dealing with the problems brought about by zebra mussels, namely the fouling of water intakes and piping systems.

It is believed that the problem is far from over. In fact, zebra mussels have been found in the entire Mississippi River system, including the Ohio River and the Arkansas River. Hence, researchers have emphasized the use of non-chemical means of control, with a hope that Mother Nature will kindly accept these exotic species as a part of the ecological system.

In a similar sense, nature has been forced to accept 'exotic structures' such as highways and dams. Patent 5,, in December A mechanical device using the vacuum system, which incorporates the reduced-oxygen method, has been successfully tested on zebra mussels in the laboratory; in November , it too was granted a U.

Patent 5,, Geological Survey, offers another perspective: "The positive side of zebra mussels is often overlooked. Zebra mussels, although injurious to parts of the Great Lakes ecosystem, have actually benefited some species.

Diving ducks, such as lesser and greater scaup, and common goldeneye, now eat prodigious quantifies of zebra mussels during migration through the Great Lakes. Nearly 99 percent of lesser scaup diet is zebra mussels in Lake Erie and 79 percent of common goldeneye diet is zebra mussels. Some of the other diving ducks that migrate through the Great Lakes--such as redheads, buffleheads, and canvasbacks--also eat zebra mussels, but to a lesser degree.

These data are available in the following publication: Custer, C. More ducks are migrating through and staying longer as they migrate through the Great Lakes because of this now-abundant food source. Sign up for our email newsletter. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American.

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