According to “Environment Canada,” “Previously considered nuisance species, scientist are now discovering the biological virtues of these mussels.“ Zebra mussels are known to destroy a environment but they can also help out an environment.




Zebra mussels originated in Balkans, Poland and the Soviet Union. Zebra mussels came to the United States by the St. Lawrence River due to the fact that humans changed the river for monetary reasons. "Environnement Canada / Environment Canada." Gouvernement Du Canada, Environnement Canada. Environment Canada.Zebra mussels arrived in North America in 1988 in Lake St. Clair, a small water body connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie (“Zebra mussels”). Zebra mussels, also known as the Dreissena Polymorpha, originally got their name by the stripes on their shells, they’re about the size of a fingernail and grow to about the size maximum length of nearly 2 inches. The average length of life for a zebra mussel is 4 or 5 years. The older zebra mussels attach themselves to hard surfaces by an external organ called a byssus, and these organs give them the ability to colonise quickly on any hard surface found in the fresh water. Many times there will be tens of thousands per square meter (O’Neill).

The zebra mussel, though small in size, has become the most troublesome freshwater biofouling organisms in North America.(O’Neill). Any industry that uses freshwater from the Great Lakes has felt an economic impact. The first place that zebra mussels attack the economy is by blocking water intake pipes. The cities that get their water from the Great Lakes are constantly having to do maintenance on their intake pipes which increases the cost of city water. Any power plant, whether coal fire or nuclear, which uses water from the Great Lakes for cooling purposes has difficulty with the zebra Mussels blocking their cooling systems also. Factories, which are the economic lifeblood of the states around the Great Lakes, have a huge negative impact from the Zebra Mussels. The impacts associated with Zebra Mussel infestation of a facility are the loss of intake head as Mussels line the area and restrict and interfere with laminar flow, the obstruction of valves and other components, problems related to the decay of Mussel Tissue, the buildup of methane gas, and an increase in the corrosion of colonized areas.(O’Neill) Three Hundred thirty nine Facilities reported total Zebra Mussels-related expenses of $69,070,780 (Charles R. O’Neill)

“Zebra mussels truly changed the ecosystem in ways not seen since the sea lamprey invaded the upper lakes in 1920s” (Dr. Marc Gaden) The change in the ecosystem has also affected the recreational use of the lakes. The ecosystem has again developed oxygen-free aquatic dead zones. These dead zones are found deep within many of the lakes; consequently, the result of these dead zones has been an increase in anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria cause health problems for swimmers. Also botulism has broken out in the lakes. The botulism has been the cause of many birds dieing. The Zebra mussels in large amounts at the bottom of lakes has taken away much of the food needed by freshwater shrimp. Theses freshwater shrimp are a major part of the food chain for fish. No food equals no fish! This has affected both the commercial and recreational fishing in the Great Lakes.

“Overall, Zebra mussels have cost fishery, the economy, and the people of the region dearly.”(Dr.Gaden) As the effects have taken hold, groups around the Great Lakes have organized to develop plans for control of the Zebra mussels. One of these groups is the 100th Meridian Initiative. The 100th Meridian Initiative tagline is “Help us stop the spread of aquatic nuisance species.” The group has two major objectives. The first objective is to prevent the spread of Zebra mussels with the second objective to monitor and control Zebra mussels. One of the ways they want to prevent the spread of Zebra mussels is through education of the people using the Great Lakes. To stop the spreading of Zebra mussels, the group is suggesting that everyone voluntarily submit to boat inspections as the move to one body of water to the next.

“It is time to learn from the hard lessons that zebra mussels have taught us,” says Gaden. “We must manage the ballast from oceangoing vessels; ballast that has permanently littered our lakes with trash species like zebra mussels.” Two major hard lessons that we have learned is that they destroy our ecosystems and our economy. The government, shipping industries, and the citizens that use the lakes must all work together to do their part.

"Zebra Mussels." Zebra Mussels. Nationalatlas, 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

O'Neill, Charles R., Jr. "Economic Impacts of Zebra Mussel Infestation." Economic Impacts of Zebra Mussel Infestation. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

O'Neill, Charles R., Jr. "Http://www.aguadelastrobrasil.org.br/arquivos/31.pdf." Www.aguadelastrobrasil.org.br/arquivos/31.pdf. SUNY College, 1 Apr. 1997. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.


Gaden, Marc, Dr. "Twenty Years of the Zebra Mussel: Stories and Case Studies | Great Lakes
United / Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs." Twenty Years of the Zebra Mussel: Stories and Case Studies | Great Lakes United / Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs. Great Lakes United, 2009. Web. 01 Mar. 2013.

"Environment Canada / Environment Canada." Government Du Canada, Environment Canada. Environment Canada, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.