|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
"Stop the Zebra Mussel: Northern New England ZEBRA MUSSEL Watch", 1993. New Hampshire Sea Grant Cooperative Extension A fact sheet produced by the New Hampshire Sea Grant Cooperative Extension "Stop the Zebra Mussel: Northern New England ZEBRA MUSSEL Watch!"
The range occupied by these unwelcome visitors is expanding rapidly. In North America, sightings have been recorded as far north as the Saint Lawrence River near Quebec, as far east as Lake Champlain, as far south as the Mississippi River near New Orleans, and as far west as the Arkansas River in Oklahoma. The rapid spread is due to the mussels prolific nature; their ability to travel on boats, barges, trailers and vegetation; and the larvae’s tendency to drift in currents. In July 1993, zebra mussels were found in Lake Champlain, which borders Vermont and New York. Residents and boaters in New England are being encouraged to learn about the natural history and geographic spread of the mussels and to know how to recognize one. Interstate boaters and anglers can slow the spread of zebra mussels by following the guidelines listed in this brochure. The infestation risk factor for any particular water body is determined mainly by its
boat traffic and its chemical characteristics and temperature. While the goal is to
prevent the mussels from becoming established in more waterways in New England, zebra
mussels are adaptable creatures able to survive in a growing range of environmental
conditions. Cooperative monitoring activities will help determine if and when zebra
mussels have become established in the region. If they
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) Since the zebra mussel's arrival in the United States, a coalition of private and public organizations has been working to lessen their impact. In northern New England, the University of New Hampshire/University of Maine Sea Grant College Program and UNH Cooperative Extensions Lakes Lay Monitoring Program are leading this effort by developing educational materials and programs and by coordinating monitoring efforts. WHAT ARE ZEBRA MUSSELS? Zebra mussels are non-native, freshwater, bivalve mollusks. Their shells have varying patterns of alternating dark and light bands. They are typically less than two inches long. The veligers (larval form) are free-swimming, nearly invisible and abundant. The adults secrete strong byssal threads by which they attach themselves to a variety of surfaces. These threads allow them to colonize quickly and reach densities of 100,000 or more mussels per square yard. The mussels have an average life span of 3.5 to 5 years. Zebra mussels originated in the drainage basins of the Black, Caspian and Aral seas of eastern Europe and have been in western European fresh water since the 1700s. Zebra mussels were first found in North America during 1988 in the waters of Lake Saint Clair, which is located between Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Scientists suspect that they arrived there in 1986 as free-floating veligers within the ballast waters of a transoceanic ship. WHAT DO ZEBRA MUSSELS DO? In areas they infest, zebra mussels...
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Take responsibility for your boat and our waters. If you’ve been boating or fishing Lake Champlain or other fresh water outside of New England within the past 10 days and plan to launch locally, please...
HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE ONE? Zebra mussels frequently collect in vegetation, on docks or pilings, and on submerged cobble, rocks and wood.
Contact: Local Sea Grant Communications Office or julia.dahlgren@unh.edu |
Since being
inadvertently introduced to North America around 1986, zebra mussels have dramatically
altered the nature of freshwater systems. These small water-dwelling animals have also
generated millions of dollars in expenses for industrial water-users, drinking water
facilities, commercial and recreational boaters, and other groups in the Great Lakes
region.
are found, information about control
techniques can help those concerned choose the best methods to reduce the destructive
impacts of the mussels.