Zebra Mussels Background

The species are native to the freshwater parts of western Russia, along with the northern part of the Caspian Sea. The rapid spread of zebra mussels through Eastern Europe was a consequence of multiple canals built during the late 1700s, and by the 1830s, these mussels covered much of Europe and Britain. The introduction to the Great lakes relatively occurred sometime in 1985 or 1986 through cargo ships. The ships released contaminated ballast water from remote ports into lakes St. Clair and Erie. Freshwater ballast, picked up in European ports, contained zebra mussel hatchlings and conceivably adolescents, together with a few other hurtful oceanic invasive species. Being a calm, freshwater species, they found the plankton-rich lakes St. Clair and Erie as an ideal habitat.

They soon colonized throughout all the Great Lakes except for Lake Superior. Superior is relatively safe from these invasive species because the lake lacks the proper minerals like calcium and magnesium that their shells need to survive. Combine that deficiency with the cold temperatures that accompany Superior, and the lake becomes a destructive habit for zebra mussels. However, the other Great Lakes like Lake Erie are perfect for zebra mussels to prey on. Within one year, they colonized all over Lake Erie, latching on to nearly every firm object. Their spread to inland waters continues at an alarming rate and even today, they continue growing and expanding.

Surveys conducted every five years show how colonization of zebra mussels in Lake Michigan is growing

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