Zebra Mussel FAQs About Monitoring Early Detection of Zebra Mussels in Inland Waters by Citizen Volunteers This presentation is entitled, “Zebra Mussel Monitoring: Early Detection of Zebra Mussels in Inland Waters by Citizen Volunteers.”   The purpose of the presentation is to show you ways that citizens can take responsibility for preventing the spread of zebra mussels to inland waters. 1

Zebra Mussels FAQs: What are They? Small “D”-shaped clams Dark brown and white stripes Native to Caspian and Black seas Arrived in Great Lakes in 1980s in the freshwater ballast of ships Zebra mussels are fingernail-size, “D”-shaped clam-like animals with dark brown and white stripes - earning the name “zebra.” Native to the Caspian and Black Sea areas of Russia, this invader was most likely transported to the Great Lakes during the 1980s in the freshwater ballast of transoceanic ships. 2

Zebra Mussels FAQs: Why Concern? Damage ecology of lakes and rivers Colonize in thick mats on docks, boats, motors, and submerged rocks Kill native mussels Foul beaches with sharp shells and pungent odor Compete with fish for food Clog water supply pipes and boat engines Zebra mussels cause problems because they can damage the ecology of lakes, reservoirs and rivers. They use sticky, threadlike fibers to attach to surfaces like docks, boat hulls, motors, and submerged rocks. Zebra mussels can attach to native freshwater mussels, often killing communities vital to healthy aquatic ecosystems. They foul beaches with their sharp shells, and decomposing zebra mussels give off a nearly unbearable odor. They can filter tremendous volumes of tiny animals called plankton from the water, which removes the food available for young fish. Zebra mussels are well known for clogging water supply pipes and boat engine cooling systems. 3

Zebra Mussel FAQs: No known way to get rid of them! 4 Unfortunately, once zebra mussels become established in a lake, reservoir, or river, there’s no environmentally-sound way to get rid of them. No known way to get rid of them! 4

Zebra Mussels FAQs: Where Are They? Zebra mussels have spread to many inland waters from the Great Lakes. While zebra mussels appear to have spread far, much of their spread is along connected waterways from the Great Lakes into the Erie Canal, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Arkansas rivers. In reality, zebra mussels have only spread overland to inland waters in just a few states. Nearly all of the inland lake infestations are short distances from previously-infested waters. Only a small fraction of inland lakes, reservoirs, and rivers are infested with zebra mussels. Thousands more need our protection by promoting prevention activities. Zebra Mussel Distribution Spread to many rivers and connected waters in eastern U.S. Found in inland lakes in only a few states Not spread far Thousands of lakes to protect 5

Zebra Mussels FAQs: What Do They Look Like? Larvae (veligers) are microscopic Very young feel like fine sandpaper on smooth surfaces, like boat hulls Grow to size of peppercorns Can quickly form barnacle-like colonies Adults over 1/2” long can reproduce Veliger Zebra mussels are unique. No other freshwater mussel in North America can attach to hard surfaces. What they look like depends upon the life-stage. After hatching, microscopic larvae, called veligers, live in the open water and move with the water currents. Two to four weeks later, the larvae settle and attach to any solid surface, including eachother. Young larvae feel like fine sandpaper on smooth surfaces, such as boat hulls. Juvenile zebra mussels can appear as small ‘peppercorns;’ this is the stage at which they begin to take on their brown and white striping. Once well-established, zebra mussels can quickly form barnacle-like colonies. Zebra mussel “peppercorn” 6

Zebra Mussels FAQs: How Can They Spread? Fouled boat hulls Plants clinging to boat, motor, trailer and other equipment (zebra mussels can attach to plants) Water in bait buckets, livewells, and other areas and equipment that hold water Scuba gear The main ways zebra mussels spread to new waters is by hitching a ride on aquatic plants clinging to boats, motors, and trailers; by attaching to boat hulls; and in contaminated water from bait buckets, livewells, and other equipment that can hold water. Scuba gear can also spread zebra mussels, either as microscopic larvae trapped in the folds of wet suits, or as juveniles and adults that can inadvertently get impinged in the gear. 7

Zebra Mussels FAQs: Who Can Spread Them? Boaters and anglers Sailboat users Personal watercraft users Recreational wild baitfish harvesters Waterfowl hunters Scuba divers The main ways zebra mussels can spread are by boaters, anglers, sailboat and personal watercraft users, recreational wild baitfish harvesters, waterfowl hunters, and scuba divers. Water users need to learn how to take special precautions at the water access to prevent the spread. Fortunately, actions for each of these water users were approved by the federal government in 2000. Contact your local Sea Grant office to obtain more information. 8

Zebra Mussel FAQs: How Can I Prevent Spread? Protect Your Property and BEFORE launching….BEFORE leaving: Remove aquatic plants and animals Drain lake or river water Dispose of unwanted live bait on shore Rinse boat and equipment with high pressure, hot water, if moored for more than a day, OR Dry everything for at least 5 days Preventing the spread of zebra mussels is easy, takes little time, and costs nothing. Before launching or before leaving any water access with your boat, be sure to: 1) Remove aquatic plants and animals from boat, motor, and trailer. 2) Drain lake or river water from livewell and bilge. 3) Dispose of unwanted live bait on shore or in the trash. Better yet, give the bait to another angler at the water access. 4) Rinse boat and equipment with high pressure, hot water if moored for more than a day. 5) Or, dry everything for at least 5 days. By following these activities, boaters and anglers can significantly reduce their risk for spreading zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species. Protect Your Property and Our Water Resources 9

Zebra Mussels: How Can I Help? Help build public awareness Know threats posed Learn to recognize Become a volunteer monitor Whether you are a boater or not, there are some key things that you can do help. Citizens and lake communities are the cornerstones of the struggle against the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic invaders. Citizen volunteers can play a critical role in finding and responding to new infestations with appropriate actions. Knowing how they spread, where they are, and what to look for - form the basis of understanding for becoming a volunteer monitor. 10

Zebra Mussel Monitoring: Why Should I Help? Essential to success for prevention and control Implement containment measures Develop new control techniques Because of the thousands of lakes, reservoirs, and rivers across the country, citizen monitors are essential to the success for prevention and control of zebra mussels. Sea Grant, federal and state natural resource management agencies, and others can monitor only a small number of waters each year. Early detection of zebra mussels by citizen monitors can help protect water resources and property. Slowing their spread buys time to implement containment measures, develop possible new control techniques, and mitigate impacts on water users. Zebra mussels are everyones’ problem. It’s an important one and it’s our personal responsibility to keep them from spread to our waters. Mitigate impacts on water users Because it’s our personal responsibility 11

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program - Option 1- Water Sampling Sample kits (available on-loan in some states) Volunteers sample two times during summer, ship water samples to lab for analyses, and ship kit back Cost is about $100 per season Some states have organized citizen networks to monitoring for zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and other invasive species. Contact your state natural resource management agency for details. If one is not available, organize a monitoring network for your lake, reservoir, or river. Consider helping to organize one for your watershed or state. Several states have organized volunteer monitoring efforts that offer two levels of participation. One option is to conduct water sampling for the presence of zebra mussel veligers. This approach provides the earliest way to detect zebra mussels in a new waterbody. Sea Grant has developed sample kits, which are available on-loan in certain Great Lakes states. For more information about these kits, contact a Great Lakes Sea Grant program office. Typically, volunteers sample two times during the summer, are responsible for shipping water samples to a laboratory for analyses, and then shipping the kit back to the Sea Grant office. Cost to the organization sponsoring the monitoring is about $100 per season. Taking samples 12

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program - Option 2 - Visual Inspection for Juveniles and Adults Visually inspect two times per season Examine pontoons, boat lifts, docks, & swimming platforms especially when removing for winter Can use PVC (4” dia. X 24” long) or brick tied to rope Always report effort whether you found zebra mussels or not Other states may also offer an option for citizen volunteers to conduct visual inspections for juvenile and adult zebra mussels two times per season. Volunteers can visually inspect pontoons, boat lifts, docks, and swimming platforms, which is especially easy when removing them for the winter. Participants can also create their own artificial substrate sampler by tying a rope to a piece of PVC pipe, measuring 4 inches in diameter by 24 inches long. An alternative is to tie a rope onto a brick or cinder block. Either sampler can be hung vertically under a shady spot of your dock in the summer to monitor for zebra mussels. A shady spot is important because zebra mussels avoid colonizing in direct sunlight. When conducting monitoring, it is important to always report whether you found zebra mussels or not. 13

  Resources for Zebra Mussel Monitoring Detecting Zebra Mussels video and Detecting Zebra Mussels: A Monitoring Program for Citizens Contact MI Sea Grant, 517/353-5508  As already mentioned, resources for conducting zebra mussel monitoring have been developed by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. These include a sampling kit, training manual, an instructional video, monitoring guide, and report form. Duplication of materials is encouraged, except for copyrighted materials. Contact a Great Lakes Sea Grant Program for more information. Minnesota Zebra Mussel Watch: Volunteer Monitor Instruction Guide Contact MN Sea Grant, 218/726-8712 or MNDNR, 651/297-4888  14

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Contributes to database Maintains healthy ecosystems Brings people together around a common interest In summary, the earliest way that we can detect the presence of zebra mussels in a lake is to monitor for their larvae, which we call veligers. Private citizens, public officials, teachers, lake associations, and industrial site managers can all participate in monitoring for zebra mussel veligers. In return, they…….   Contribute to the long-term, scientific database of the distribution and spread of zebra mussels; Help maintain healthy, aquatic ecosystems; Foster a sense of community centered on a common purpose; And, it provides an early warning program critical for resource protection against damage caused by this costly invader. Fosters a sense of community Provides an early warning program critical for resource protection 15

Veliger Monitoring The video that I’m going to show you describes how citizens can conduct summertime monitoring for zebra mussel veligers. It shows the equipment and instructional materials provided in the Sea Grant-developed monitoring kit, and takes you through the step-by-step process of veliger sampling.   The video lasts about 20 minutes. 16

Insert Video Video written by Carol Swinehart Michigan Sea Grant Written and produced by Mike Klepinger ANS Program Coordinator Michigan Sea Grant Insert Video Video written by Carol Swinehart Michigan Sea Grant Insert video. 17