The Zebra Mussel Problem

Background:

Zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, are small, fingernail-sized, freshwater mollusks unintentionally introduced to North America via ballast water from a transoceanic vessel. Since their introduction in the mid 1980s, they have spread through all of the Great Lakes and to an increasing number of inland waterways in the United States and Canada. Zebra mussels colonize on various surfaces, such as docks, boat hulls, commercial fishing nets, water intake pipes and valves, native mollusks and other zebra mussels. Their only known predators, some diving ducks, freshwater drum, carp, and sturgeon, are not numerous enough to have a significant effect on them. Zebra mussels have significantly impacted the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy. Many communities are trying to control or eliminate these aquatic pests.