By: Gill, Cindy, Millie, and Gabby

º Zebra Mussels are from Eurasia and came into the Great Lakes as "hitchhikers,” were brought here on accident, in º Biologists believe the zebra mussels were picked up in a fresh water European port in the ballast water of a ship and were later discharged into the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair. Today the zebra mussels are found in 12 U.S. states and also in Ontario, Canada. º Then the mussels quickly grew and multiplied. º They're usually about fingernail size but can grow to a maximum length of nearly 2 inches. º Zebra Mussels love to cling on to things (ex. the shopping cart). Zebra Mussels

º Zebra mussels have spread from Lake St. Clare to Louisiana. º The reason for the spreading of the Zebra mussels is because of people not taking care of their ships. Zebra Mussels are rapidly spreading

0The mussels fill all of Lake Erie's western basin water every week and have brought down the population of phytoplankton by 80%. 0When sunlight heats up the water, vegetation or plants begin to grow, which may include the algal to blossom. This can cause the water to smell bad. 0The mussels feed on algae and this is good for the water, but harmful to other species because they rely on algae for food. 0Zebra mussels can travel in large groups and settle on other species, which have caused them to die. 0Zebra mussels can also grow on each others' shells, and water consumption and outlets become blocked. 0Power stations now have to close for routine cleaning. Problem

0With the help of the federal government, the Northern Territory started to set their sights on the mussel and take care of the problem. 0Tones of copper sulphate and 2.50 tones of chlorine were released onto the mussels, and boats which left the basin were traced and decontaminated. Solution