Freshwater Mussels Mussels are a species of marine life that inhabits many of the bodies of water in the United States. They serve as an important aspect of the ecological system of the water in which they occupy. However, the number of mussels have been declining such that many are now considered as endangered species. There are a few reasons for the decline in population, including domination by a single species of mussels called the zebra mussel. Conservation has begun on mussels because of
The Scientific name of a zebra mussel is Dreissena polymorpha. A 5-week experiment was done where zebra mussels where placed in an environment that lacked them. After the 1st week, the researchers noticed that the bio volume of the phytoplankton decreased by 53% and the bio volume of the ciliate decreased by 71%. Zebra Mussels caused a lot of algae to decrease in the beginning of the experiment, however, the algal abundance did not stay consistent throughout the experiment. The concentrations of
Introduction The Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), is a small freshwater mollusk that is an invasive species. It has slowly been making its way into the United States. It has done this by showing up in lakes and in rivers. The mussels get their name due to the striped pattern on their shells. They are a relatively small species, only growing to the size of a human finger nail but there have been cases of larger (“Zebra Mussels,” 2013, para. 2). Mussels live a short life span of 4-5 years and most
Zebra mussels have now found there way to the United States originating from the Caspian Sea and sought habitation, originally, in Lake St. Claire when ballast water brought them in. From there, zebra mussels have spread and have caused havoc to the environments and its biodiversity, specifically, Presque Isle. Zebra mussels are filter feeders of zooplankton and phytoplanktons, making the water appear clearer, but not cleaner. They have negatively impacted the existence of clams, walleye and several
time are the ones that usually hurt us. Zebra mussels affect our economy, health and agriculture in many ways and all we can do is watch. It can happen in a matter of days and develop into a traumatizing sequence of events for not only a small region, but a whole country. The luxurious Great Lakes ecosystem has been severely damaged by more than 180 invasive and non-native species. According to Felix Martinez, species such as zebra mussels, quagga mussels, round goby, sea lamprey, and alewife reproduce
The zebra mussel is a small freshwater mussel, this species was originally native to the lakes of southern Russia. From their first appearance in American waters in 1988, zebra mussels have spread to a large number of waterways, including Lake Simcoe in the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi, Cumberland, Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, and Arkansas Rivers. Unfortunately, the invasion of the Zebra Mussel continues. For instance, in 2009 the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Ecosystem Instability: The Incumbent Problems and Possible Solutions Thesis Ecosystem instability is a problem that we can no longer put off to the side. We are being confronted with this problem and we need to find ways to resolve the present situations. The forms of confrontation are through foriegn invaders and lack of apex predators (to name a few). We must realize that through research as well as changes in lifestyle we can save our planet. These changes must occur individually for them
control them are not as thorough as they should be. The biggest characteristic with invasive species is that, they are not native. This means they are not supposed to be in Minnesota waters. Invasive species can be a plant or an animal, such as a mussel, fish, weed, or snail. Some effects of invasive species are that, they can kill native fish, destroy spawning beds, and cause much more environmental harm. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, DNR, has been doing studies to show the harm
Invasive species do not only affect other species in their ecosystem, but also cost the United States more than one hundred and twenty million dollars each year in damages (“Cost” par. 2). Invasive species come in all different forms, and all have a negative impact on the environment. These species can come into a new area without being detected at first, but as time goes on their effects can soon be seen. Efforts are being made to prevent these invasive species from destroying fish population
often laced with organisms not naturally found in their new region. The zebra mussel provides food for a certain type of fish, and also contains several toxins because it is a filter feeder. The level of toxins in the fish due to the biological amplification is high. But if and when a new type of fish are introduced, which eats zebra mussels and provides a more preferred food for the fish which formerly ate the mussels, a new level of biological amplification is inserted.
ruined your weekend of fun? They are zebra mussels, and are found in lakes, rivers, and other bodies of freshwater across the U.S. Normally found in Eastern Europe, the first group of this invasive species hitched a ride in the ballast tanks of ocean liners in the 1980s, and quickly spread. Regulations are in place to stop the spread, but removing them from places that have already been infested is tricky. Today we will talk about the damages zebra mussels cause, how this problem is managed, and what
Canada is a very large country, with areas of land in various climate regions, and land regions, thus having many ecozones that differentiate from another. The most populated ecozone in Canada is the Mixedwood Plains; the ecozone we are located in, named after the mixedwood forests that are native to the area. The Mixedwood Plains is one of the smallest of the Canadian ecozones, spanning only 175 963 kilometres squared. The Mixedwood Plains is bordered by three of the great lakes on the southern
Majid Din College Bio/Per.9 Fall Research Paper 11/17/14 Mytilus Californianus are known as California mussels that form dense mussel beds and considered one of the most abundant intertidal organisms. They are found clustered together in the upper-middle zone on the open coast. Mytilus Californianus attach themselves to rocks by byssal threads. They have geographic range from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to northern Mexico of Baja California (Morris et al. 1980). “It provides habitat, refuge
Land of Changing Environments Climate change has been debated around the world, and multiple sources are being blamed for global warming. While many people are trying to discover the causes of global warming, the effects of climate change are already impacting environments locally. Minnesota contains many environments and species which are being affected by the changing climate. “From 1895 to 1970, Minnesota's average temperature rose about one tenth of a degree every decade. But since then it has
antioxidant defenses of zebra mussels were affected in the presence of different
Fear for Freshwater Our Great Lakes have been used in recreational activity for possibly many centuries. Our children beg and whine for any chance to make it out to the beaches that surround our largest source of freshwater. And even though research and funds could be possibly used elsewhere, there are threats to the Great Lakes that are slowly destroying the Lake’s resources and ecosystems, mostly due to pollution coming from the air we, as humans, breath, habitat destruction and invasive species
are kleptoparasites found around the world's oceans in different Bivalve mollusks species, specifically oysters and mussels. These soft-shell crabs are natural occurring pests, they were not brought or transported by humans around the world but rather evolved to infest mollusk species for food and protection. Their life cycles start at being birthed in areas where oysters or mussels are born in the previous or same year. The timing of the two species is offset to give the mollusks time to grow big
Species such as the zebra mussel, quagga mussel, urasian malfoil, sea lamprey, and asian carp reproduce and spread. These invasive miscreants ultimately degrade habitat, outcompete the native species, not to mention short-circuiting food webs. When a new and aggressive species is introduced
The Ohio River Basin covers the area about 203.940 miles, which is located in northeast of the United States surrounding the easternmost regions of the Mississippi Basin. The mainstream of the basin, the Ohio River itself, winds its way through 6 states or commonwealths around: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. The basin consists of one mainstream, which serves as the largest tributary of the Mississippi river, and its various tributaries, among which the Allegany
Aquaculture Aquaculture is a form of agriculture that involves the propagation, cultivation and marketing of aquatic organisms in an controlled environment. The history of aquaculture first begun in ancient China some 4000 years ago with ornamental carp ponds to today's $264 million commercial production of catfish in the southern states of America. 1 The following essay will be a broad examination of the conditions and requirements of aquaculture and a closer study of the industry in