what are zebra mussels doing to the great lakes?
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As they filter water through their bodies, zebra and quagga mussels consume plankton, tiny organisms that are the foundation of the Great Lakes food chain. That increases water clarity, which allows sunlight to penetrate deeper in the lake.
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Zebra mussels a 'threat to the water system' Millions of invading zebra mussels are playing havoc with England's drinking water supplies. The zebra mussel is a species that arrived 200 years ago in the UK from the Caspian Sea and is now thriving as a result of the cleanliness of our water systems.
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The spread of zebra mussels: Originally from the Balkans, Poland and the former Soviet Union, zebra mussels are firmly established in Europe and have invaded much of the U.S. On April 3, 2009, the first adult zebra mussel in Texas waters was confirmed in Lake Texoma.
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Zebra mussels first arrived in Canada in 1986. They were found in a harbour in Lake Erie, most likely transported from Europe via transatlantic shipping. Within several years, zebra mussels spread throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes.
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In 2008, zebra mussels were first reported in Maryland within the Conowingo Pool of the Susquehanna River. ... Several municipalities in the area have also began reporting clusters of zebra mussels attached to their water supply intakes or larva entering their intake pipes.
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Researchers estimate that zebra mussels filter a large percentage of the water in Lake Erie every week. As they filter the water, they remove toxic chemicals and pollutants like PCBs. PCBs accumulate in the fatty tissues of organisms.
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Zebra mussels are suspension feeders, eating phytoplankton, small zooplankton, large bacteria, and organic detritus by filtering the water and straining out the edible material. Phytoplankton and zooplankton form the base of the aquatic food web, so many animals depend on them for survival.
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In 1827 zebra mussels were seen in the Netherlands at Rotterdam. Canals that artificially link many European waterways facilitated their early dispersal. It is non-indigenous in the Czech Republic in Elbe river in Bohemia since 1893; in southern Moravia is probably native.
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The Zebra Mussel gets its name from the dark, striped pattern on their shells. ... Zebra Mussels are believed to have hitch-hiked from Europe to North America in ballast water from transoceanic ships.
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They can impact fish and other wildlife by increasing algal blooms and large colonies affect fish spawning areas. ... Zebra Mussels filter contaminants from the water, and can move them up the food chain as mussels are consumed by fish and wildlife.
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Traditional methods for dealing with zebra mussels Traditional control methods include: Chemical. Oxidizing chemicals such as chlorine, bromine, potassium permanganate and ozone are used extensively, with the help of injectors in pipe systems.
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Millions of invading zebra mussels are playing havoc with England's drinking water supplies. The zebra mussel is a species that arrived 200 years ago in the UK from the Caspian Sea and is now thriving as a result of the cleanliness of our water systems. ... The invading mussels also kill British native freshwater mussels.
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The Invasion Zebra mussels were first discovered in the Hudson at very low densities in 1991. By the end of 1992, they had spread throughout the river, and their biomass was greater than the combined biomass of all other consumers (fish, zooplankton, zoobenthos, bacteria) in the river.
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Zebra mussels are a small, destructive invasive species that can spread across Texas by hitching a ride on boats and trailers. They grow to only about 1 ½ inches and develop a distinctive zebra-striped shell. One zebra mussel can produce up to one million microscopic larvae.
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The zebra mussel is native to Eastern Europe and Western Russia. The species was unintentionally introduced into the United States' Great Lakes through the discharge of contaminated cargo ship ballast water.
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While there are two known zebra mussel communities in Lake Superior—in the major ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, Ontario—mussels generally have a tough go in Lake Superior because the lake is too cold and doesn't offer enough nutrients to sustain them.
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They can spread easily as their larvae move through canals and rivers like cars on a motorway network. The invading mussels also kill British native freshwater mussels. If the zebra mussels get into water treatment works, they can block up the whole system.