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 OverviewPresentation Overview

What is a zebra What is a zebra mussel?mussel?

History of the History of the InvasionInvasion

Positive EffectsPositive Effects Negative EffectsNegative Effects Methods of Methods of ControlControl

FutureFuture

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?What is a zebra mussel?• Extraordinary ability to reproduceExtraordinary ability to reproduce

– Can lay over 1 million eggs in a seasonCan lay over 1 million eggs in a season– Spawning catalyzed by temperature and Spawning catalyzed by temperature and foodfood

• Natural biofiltersNatural biofilters– Have the ability to remove excess algae Have the ability to remove excess algae and restore bodies of waterand restore bodies of water

– 1 zebra mussel can filter 1 liter of 1 zebra mussel can filter 1 liter of water per daywater per day

– However, tissues absorb contaminants in However, tissues absorb contaminants in the waterthe 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

Year Body of Water 

1988 Lake St. Clair

1989 Lake Michigan

1990 All Great Lakes

1991 Illinois River

1999 Independence Grove Lake

2001 Lake County Forest Preserve, Sterling Lake

2001/2002 Fox Chain-O-Lakes, Gages Lake, Lake Zurich, West Loon Lake, Lake Minear, Tower Lake

2003 Bangs Lake, Cedar Lake, Third Lake

2004 Druce Lake, East Loon LakeZebra 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 EffectsNegative Effects

Clog water-intake pipesClog water-intake pipes– expensive to removeexpensive to remove

Negatively affect Negatively affect tourismtourism– Cut swimmers’ feetCut swimmers’ feet– Alter taste of drinking Alter taste of drinking waterwater

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

FutureFuture

We think best method = learn to live with We think best method = learn to live with musselsmusselsOther methods are invasive and harmful to Other methods are invasive and harmful to the environmentthe environmentWill be expensive, up to 5 billion in next 10 Will be expensive, up to 5 billion in next 10 yearsyears– However, long term benefits will outweigh short However, long term benefits will outweigh short

term costs, and infrastructure can be used for term costs, and infrastructure can be used for many years in futuremany years in future

In Europe, successfully accommodated the In Europe, successfully accommodated the musselsmussels

Works Citedo 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), 545-557.

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. http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/invasive/zmussels/index.html.

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), 475-489.

o Buchan, A. J. Lucy, Chotkowski, M. A., Padilla, K. Dianna. (1996) Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters, 5(6), 353-359.

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), 27-97.

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), 695-702.

Diggins, P., T., Stewart, M., K., Weimer, M. Epiphytic refugium: Are two species of invading freshwater bivalves partitioning spatial resources? Biological Invasions, 6(1), 83-88.

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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Retrieved March 3, 2006, from http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/#overview.

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