Zebra Mussel Invasion of the Great Lakes By Leslie Zaikis, Rachel Sullivan and Heather Chirco

Finger-nail sized mussels Native to Asia Recently brought to North America from Europe First found in Lake St. Clair Invasion has had many effects

Presentation Overview What is a zebra mussel? What is a zebra mussel? History of the Invasion History of the Invasion Positive Effects Positive Effects Negative Effects Negative Effects Methods of Control Methods of Control Future Future

What is a zebra mussel? Dreissena polymorpha Striped shell pattern Size of a thumb-nail Attach to almost any hard surface Temperate, freshwater species Found 2-7 meters deep

What is a zebra mussel? Extraordinary ability to reproduce Extraordinary ability to reproduce –Can lay over 1 million eggs in a season –Spawning catalyzed by temperature and food Natural biofilters Natural biofilters –Have the ability to remove excess algae and restore bodies of water –1 zebra mussel can filter 1 liter of water per day –However, tissues absorb contaminants in the water

History of the Invasion Originally from the Caspian and Black Seas in Asia Brought from Europe from Ballast Water in ships First spotted in Lake St. Clair between 1986 and 1988

History of the Invasion The Spread of Zebra Mussels YearBody of Water 1988Lake St. Clair 1989Lake Michigan 1990All Great Lakes 1991Illinois River 1999Independence Grove Lake 2001Lake County Forest Preserve, Sterling Lake 2001/2002Fox Chain-O-Lakes, Gages Lake, Lake Zurich, West Loon Lake, Lake Minear, Tower Lake 2003Bangs Lake, Cedar Lake, Third Lake 2004Druce Lake, East Loon Lake Zebra mussel spread Mid 1980s 1997

Positive Effects Clear water by filtering algae – Increases growth of aquatic plants Increase lake floor biodiversity Create a new food source for many native fish, birds, and other animals Monitor water contamination levels

Negative Effects Clog water-intake pipes Clog water-intake pipes –expensive to remove Negatively affect tourism Negatively affect tourism –Cut swimmers’ feet –Alter taste of drinking water

Negative Effects Reduce energy available in the food web Reduce many native fish populations Caused the near extinction of some native clam species

Methods of Control Most scientists believe total eradication is impossible Most popular and effective = chlorine treatments Harms the surrounding environment Extensive cleanup efforts required Can form dangerous carcinogens

Methods of Control  Other chemical molluscicides Trace amounts of potassium Also very dangerous to surrounding species Often more toxic to fish than mussels  Natural Predation 176 natural predator species, especially birds and fish Diving ducks in Europe Competitive displacement

Methods of Control Manual Removal –High pressure wash, pipe cleaning –Mussels can come back the next year Many other methods have been tried –Thermal changes –Acoustical vibration –Desiccation –Ultraviolet light –Electrical current filters

Future We think best method = learn to live with mussels Other methods are invasive and harmful to the environment Will be expensive, up to 5 billion in next 10 years –However, long term benefits will outweigh short term costs, and infrastructure can be used for many years in future In Europe, successfully accommodated the mussels

Works Cited o Beaver, J.R., Cavaletto, J.F., Gardner, W. S., Lavrentyev. (1995). Effects of the zebra mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha Pallas) on protozoa and phytoplankton from Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Great Lakes Resources, 21(4), o Bierman, V., Depinto, J., and Feist, T. (2000). The effect of zebra mussels on cycling and potential bioavailability of PCBs: Case study of Saginaw Bay. United States Environmental Protection Agency. o Bossenbroek, M., Jonathan, Johnson, E., Ladd, Kraft, E., Clifford. (2006) Patterns and pathways in the post-establishment spread of non-indigenous aquatic species: the slowing invasion of North American inland lakes by the zebra mussel. Biological Invasions across Scales: New Insights, 8(2), o Buchan, A. J. Lucy, Chotkowski, M. A., Padilla, K. Dianna. (1996) Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters, 5(6),

Works Cited  Burlakova, L.E., Karatayev, A.Y., Kurandina, D.P., Laruelle, F., Molloy, D.P. (1997). Natural enemies of zebra mussels: Predators, parasites, and ecological competitors. Reviews in Fisheries Science, 5(1),  Cope, G.W., Marking, L.L., Rach, J.J., Waller, L.D. (1993) Toxicity of candidate molluscicides to zebra mussels ( Dreissena Polymorpha) and selected nontarget organisms. J. Great Lakes Res., 19(4),  Diggins, P., T., Stewart, M., K., Weimer, M. Epiphytic refugium: Are two species of invading freshwater bivalves partitioning spatial resources? Biological Invasions, 6(1),  Depinto, V., J., Jagjit, K. (2000). The effect of zebra mussel son cycling and potential bioavailability of PCBs: Case study of Saginaw Bay. United States Environmental Protection Agency

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