Zebra mussels invade Lake Erie muds

Paul Arthur Berkman (), Melissa A. Haltuch, Emily Tichich, David W. Garton, Gregory W. Kennedy, John E. Gannon, Scudder D. Mackey, Jonathan A. Fuller and Dale L. Liebenthal
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Paul Arthur Berkman: Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, 108 Scott Hall
Melissa A. Haltuch: Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, 108 Scott Hall
Emily Tichich: Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, 108 Scott Hall
David W. Garton: Ohio Sea Grant College Program, Ohio State University
Gregory W. Kennedy: United States Geological Survey
John E. Gannon: United States Geological Survey
Scudder D. Mackey: Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Jonathan A. Fuller: Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Dale L. Liebenthal: Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Nature, 1998, vol. 393, issue 6680, 27-28

Abstract: Abstract Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) originated in western Russia but have now become widespread in Europe and North America. They are widely known for their conspicuous invasion of rocks and other hard substrates in North American and European watersheds1. We have found beds of zebra mussels (Fig. 1) directly colonizing sand and mud sediments each year across hundreds of square kilometres of North America's Lake Erie. This transformation of sedimentary habitats into mussel beds represents an unforeseen change in the invasive capacity of this species. Figure 1 Invading zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on fine-grain sand sediments at 14 m depth in western Lake Erie in 1994. Adult mussels (10-30 mm in length) are seen extending 2-3 m across and up to 10 cm above the sediment surface. The presence of erect macrophytes at this depth demonstrates the increased water clarity resulting from extremely high filtration rates by mussels. R. RATTNER

Date: 1998
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DOI: 10.1038/29902

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