The Zebra Mussel is a small fingernail- sized animal that attaches to solid objects in water. Its scientific name is Dreissena polymorpha. Zebra Mussels are small measuring about an inch long and being two inches for the maximum size. Zebra Mussels were first discovered in Lake St. Clair in 1988 next to Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Zebra Mussels are spread through the Great Lakes region and are found in many rivers.
Zebra mussels are spread in a lot of ways to bodies of water. For instance, they attach to boats, net, docks, and boat lifts. Zebra mussels also attach to vegetation that is in the lake. They also can be carried in water that is in buckets that are moved from an infested lake. In conclusion, zebra mussels can and be spread in many ways.
Zebra Mussels show threats to many things. Zebra mussels can inhabit fresh waters of the U.S and affect many aquatic species. Zebra mussels can cause problems for residents who own cabins next to lake shores. Zebra mussels can cause cuts and scrapes to people if they grow large enough on items. When zebra mussels filter out surrounding water this can increase water clarity and cause vegetation to grow a lot more.
There are a lot of ways to control zebra mussels. One way to control zebra mussels is to not transport water from live wells, bait buckets, or from one place to another. Dispose leftover bait in the trash because zebra mussels might be attached to that bait. Clean your boat off of seaweed and other lake plants before you put your boat into a lake. There are many ways to control zebra mussels in power plants including Flushing, Electrical current, Filters and screens, and Ultraviolet light.
People should care about zebra mussels to avoid having them be an invasive species in a lot of lakes. Zebra mussels can affect many species in fresh water. Many people spend millions of dollars to clean out zebra mussels to avoid having them spread around more. Finally, if more people learn and care about the effects of zebra mussels on fresh waters ecosystems than we can try to control them from continuing to be and invasive species.
What would happen if Zebra Mussels continue to invade other lakes?
Do you think it is important to control Zebra Mussels and have them removed from fresh water lakes?
How would people be better off without Zebra Mussels if they weren’t around?
I agree that something should be done about zebra mussels. They over reproduce and over eat causing strain on other fish in that environment. Zebra mussels remove particles from the water column causing the sun to penetrate through the clearer water. This causes more plants to grow but when they die they wash up on shore creating many problems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_mussel
Zebra muscle can harm water systems and lakes if they keep spreading more like they have. People need to take the time to clean their boats so that they don’t spread more than they already do. Zebra muscles can hurt people because you can step on them and you could cut your foot. I have stepped on one before on a sandbar on a lake and cut my foot. This is why we need to take the time to clean off everything we use in the water because it can cause them to spread to other lakes which we don’t want because the fewer lakes with them the better. A female zebra muscle can lay up to 1 million eggs during spawning season which is why we need to get them out of the lakes before they spawn and there gets to be a lot of them.
http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/Nonindigenous_Species/Zebra_mussel_FAQs/zebra_mussel_faqs.html
Zebra mussels are becoming a huge problem in many lakes and are continuing to spread. If people would just wash the things necessary like their boats, boat lifts, and docks before moving them into a different lake it could stop zebra mussels from spreading. People would benefit if zebra mussels weren’t around because once the mussels are big enough they can cut people. I think the only way this problem will be truly solved is if they check boats at all public accesses.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/zebramussel/index.html Zebra mussels start to settle and attach to any firm surface after about two weeks using byssal threads. Also only fresh water mussels are able to attach to objects. Zebra mussels are also native to Eastern Europe and Western Russia and were brought over into the Great Lakes. Finally, if zebra mussels are not removed they reduce the food available for fish in lakes.
Zebra mussels are harming the traditional food chains in lakes. They can be a harm to everything in the ecosystem around them. Zebra Mussels attach to anything: boats, water treatment plants, and more. They eat a lot so there is less food left for any other species. Zebra mussels tend to colonize in moderate depth as such as docks and boats. This causes problems for boaters because they can cause boat engines to overheat and they can also clog engines. Boaters are not the only people effected; this species also causes a lot of problems for swimmers at beaches. In some places, extensive amounts of sharp zebra mussel shells can be found around the beaches. This causes a problem towards unprotected feet because people could step on them. If we don’t do something about this, the ecosystems will pay the price. http://www.protectyourwaters.net/hitchhikers/mollusks_zebra_mussel.php
I believe that is very important that we watch out for zebra mussels so that they aren’t able to spread as easily. Fresh water animals are put at risk from zebra mussels so we need to be careful when we are moving things such as boats from different bodies of water. When moving your boat from a body of water that could be infested, make sure you drain all bilge water and live wells. You should also make sure that you clean out your bait buckets. Another way to prevent spreading the zebra mussels is to thoroughly check around your boat and make sure its all clear. When you take your boat out of the water, you should dry it completely. Lastly, make sure you identify what a zebra mussel looks like so that you know exactly what to look for. Those are some ways that you can help stop zebra mussels from spreading. I found most of my information on this helpful website: http://seagrant.wisc.edu/zebramussels/help_stop.html
Zebra mussels are become a bigger threat every year. They are spreading rapidly because people are careless about checking their boats their bails and docks,nets, and even boat lifts. If you take your boat out of the water and are planning on going to a different lake take 10 minutes to look your boat over and stop the rise in population of them from lake to lake. They can cause people to cut or scrape themselves leaving to a more dangerous infection. If your cabin is super close to the lake side that can also cause you to get them growing on the sides of your house if your leaning your net up against it or your bail close to it they can easily attach on. we are kind of carless when it comes to them because we don’t think they do much but they really do. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/zebramussel/index.html Female zebra mussels can produce up to 100,00 to 500,000 eggs per year. Also putting a huge rise in population to them making it even that much more dangerous they can attach to motors clogging cooling areas resulting in your boat blowing up. This is a very good article and very eye opening it showing how much really don’t do to help stop them at all and we also need to make it a law to make people check their boats the minute they take them out before putting it into the same lake or into another and spreading.
I agree with you and think it is super important that we don’t spread zebra muscles around. I also think we need to raise more awareness to people about how serious this can be. Not only can zebra muscles hurt the population of fish but they can also hurt people too. They can also cause a lot of damage over time. I think its important that it is stopped because I think zebra muscles can ruin a lake. my family has a lake cabin and the thought of the lake being infected is heartbreaking. I think the zebra muscles would really take away the beauty of the lake. I found an article that talks about how being aware of zebra muscles is important. http://www.texasinvasives.org/zebramussels/