Where do zebra mussels make colonies?
Zebra mussels reached North America in the mid-1980s in the ballast water of a ship. They rapidly became established in the Great Lakes and the waters draining them. Zebra mussels will eventually colonize most of the waters in North America except for places that are too saline or too warm for their survival.Click to see…
Zebra mussels reached North America in the mid-1980s in the ballast water of a ship. They rapidly became established in the Great Lakes and the waters draining them. Zebra mussels will eventually colonize most of the waters in North America except for places that are too saline or too warm for their survival.Click to see full answer. In this way, what do zebra mussels attach to?Zebra mussels are armed with rootlike threads of protein, called “byssal threads,” that allow them to firmly attach themselves to hard surfaces such as rocks, native mussels, docks or boats.Also, what do zebra mussels do to the ecosystem? Zebra mussels negatively impact ecosystems in many ways. They filter out algae that native species need for food and they attach to–and incapacitate–native mussels. Power plants must also spend millions of dollars removing zebra mussels from clogged water intakes. Similarly one may ask, how did the zebra mussel get to the United States? It is believed that Zebra Mussels were introduced into North America through the emptying of ballast water from commercial transatlantic ships into the Great Lakes. Once in ballast tanks, organisms can be transported to other areas and subsequently discharged into waters at foreign ports.What damage do zebra mussels cause?They adhere to all hard surfaces, including the shells of native mussels, turtles, and crustaceans. In the Midwest they have destroyed boat engines, fouled beaches, and caused damage to boat ramps and docks. Zebra mussel fecal material may also contribute to taste and odor problems in drinking water sources.
