Environment Zebra and Quagga Mussels

Environment

Zebra and Quagga mussels are native to the Ponto-Caspian basin in Eurasia, such as (Aquatic Invasive Species of Pennsylvania, n.d.). Their name comes from the distinct zebra-like striping on their shells. The Quagga shells are more rounded than the Zebra mussel, but otherwise they are "virtually identical both physically and behaviorally," (Aquatic Invasive Species of Pennsylvania, n.d.; National Wildlife Federation, n.d.). Currently, they are classified as invasive species in 29 different states (National Wildlife Federation, n.d.).

Increases and decreases in the populations and prevalence of the invasive species is directly related to boat transportation patterns, as the mussels hitch rides on boat hulls and ballast waters. During the plankton stage, both zebra and quagga mussels are highly mobile, too, greatly assisting their ability to colonize different bodies of water. During the plankton stage, "they can float in the water for up to four weeks before they settle and attach to a solid surface," (Aquatic Invasive Species of Pennsylvania, n.d.). They also reproduce rapidly and prolifically. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Aebra and Quagga mussels "can produce up to one million larvae in a single year. Therefore, season and weather conditions will also have a bearing on local populations of zebra and quagga mussels. Climatic conditions, aquatic conditions, boat transport patterns, and crew cleaning behaviors are all factors linked to the spread of the invasive species throughout fresh water systems in the United States.

It is important to identify environmental hazards like the Zebra and Quagga mussels because of what they can do to local flora, fauna, and water compositions. For example, the National Wildlife Federation (n.d.) notes that while the mussels are clarifying the water in the Great Lakes due to their internal filtration systems, they also inhibit food sources for indigenous fish.

However, there are also other issues that must be taken into consideration such as the impact of zebra and quagga mussels on local human industries. The species "can ruin boat motors and clog water intake structures, such as pipes and screens, thereby impacting pumping capabilities for power and water treatment plants," (Arizona Game and Fish Department, n.d.). It has been estimated that in the Midwest, where infestation levels have been notoriously high, that "hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance and damage repair" have been direct consequences of zebra and quagga mussel invasions (Arizona Game and Fish Department, n.d.). There are as many as 10 trillion quagga and zebra mussels in the Great Lakes today (National Wildlife Federation, n.d.).