##ssel : The Positive Impacts Of The Zebra Mussel

Today, what once was a scenic lake is covered in chest-high weeds. “ Boaters and fisherman enjoy going to Lake Bridgeport during the summer. But in the summer of 2013 the boat ramps were unusable so the number of residents going to the lake dropped. There are dead fish floating to the shoreline as well as many other wildlife animals. The lake tested positive for Zebra Mussel larva, which is shell like creatures that are very sharp and stick to boats, anchors and docks. The Mussels are very dangerous for the lake environment, but they also eat bacteria so they could help the lake water clear up. If no water is drained out of Lake Bridgeport then the residents of Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth could possibly run out of drinking water.

As well as pollution, invasive species are damaging the lake ecosystems and food chains, made fragile by pollution and overfishing. The introduction of a new species throws off the balance of food chains. Some common invasive species include the sea lamprey, Asian carp, and zebra mussels, among many others. Zebra mussels have dramatically influenced and affected stable food chains by reducing the amount of zooplankton and phytoplankton. This presents a problem, as fish mostly feed on the drifters, and so they go hungry and die, leaving no food for larger fish to prey on. In addition to underwater disruption, it affects us as well, but only slightly. Plankton and algae especially are the most productive aquatic producers of oxygen, and by the decreasing population, we lose oxygen as well. The sea lamprey is also a problem, though it is not so influential to ecosystems as the zebra mussel.

In this research paper I will talk about how a large decrease in the algae population in the Chesapeake Bay will cause problems for not just fish and other species but the people who fish and make a living off of it. A large decrease in algae population will have a domino effect on the food chain. Having a major decrease in algae will hurt how others species live and protect themselves.

     Populations of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas), were first found in the Laurentian Great Lakes in 1988 (Hebert et al., 1989). This species is native to the Caspian, Aral, and Black Seas and the rivers that drain into them but has spread throughout Europe, principally during the 18th century. Since it is restricted to estuarine and freshwater habitats, it is presumed that it was introduced into North America by ballast waters of transoceanic vessels. Based on the substantial amount of genetic variation found in these initial populations, as estimated from electrophoretic variation of allozymes, the colonization of the Great Lakes was by a large number of immigrants and not just a few founders

Some examples include the zebra mussel, sea lamprey, and Asian carp. The zebra mussel first came to the great lakes by traveling in the ballast water of a transoceanic vessel. Over the years, it has spread into the entire great lakes system. They are very dense with contaminants, which causes predators to stray away from them and not digest them. The zebra mussel has had many negative impacts on the ecosystem. A zebra mussel can attach themselves firmly to any solid object, which has caused water intake and discharge pipes to clog. Some other impacts include suppressing native mussels, over clarifying the water, and stripping water from various plankton that native fish eat. Sea lamprey are another invasive species in the great lakes. A sea lamprey is an eel like fish that sucks bodily fluids from other fish. They have traveled to the great lakes on their own by swimming up the Hudson River. They have contributed to the collapse of the whitefish and lake trout fisheries. Some prevention actions have been put in place and include chemical treatments of spawning

In the field of Invasion Ecology, understanding the four stages of invasion of a specific invader is imperative to understand the invader. This idea is well documented with the rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus. The rusty crayfish is a crustacean native to the Ohio River Basin (Hein et al. 2007). However, the rusty crayfish has invaded not only bordering states such as Wisconsin but also far away areas such as Ontario and Oregon (Hein et al. 2007, Sorenson et al. 2012). The reason that the invasion occurs both in nearby and far away areas is that the rusty crayfish moves to new areas through two different methods (Puth and Allen 2005).The rusty crayfish has invaded multiple places in the US and Canada through human mediated jump dispersal

Today’s eastern oysters range from 3 to 5 inches in length, sometimes as much as 8 inches, although the oysters present during the colonization of the New World were documented to grow much larger (“Oyster History”). Oysters have many great characteristics in regard to their utility for humans as well as wildlife. The build ups of oyster bars, reefs, and beds provide habitat for many aquatic lifeforms and the filtration capabilities they possess is quite remarkable; as filter feeders, oysters feed on phytoplankton and small organisms while removing nutrients from the waters the inhabit, leaving them clear and pristine; just one oyster can filter more than 50 gallons in a day (“Oyster History”). Alas, it was a palatable constitution that made the eastern oyster so popular, creating an extensive economy based on its harvest. Unfortunately, this considerable popularity would ultimately bring the oyster’s

According to Silent Spring, the United States Office of Plant Introduction has introduced about 200,000 species of plants from around the world, and almost half of the 180 major insect enemies of plants are accidental imports. According to Campbell’s Biology Textbook, these imported animals are known as invasive species, organisms that become established outside their native range. Carson states that often when a species is brought to an area they are not native to, the lack of natural enemies causes the species to become dominant and extremely abundant. These invasions are likely to be permanent, however as a way to “buy time” humans have turned to quarantine and massive chemical campaigns, instead of trying to prevent new invasions. As Carson continuously stresses chemical use can have unwanted consequences and she urges people to use the basic knowledge of animal populations and their relations to their surroundings and other species to prevent them from becoming overly dominate. For example, according to Campbell’s textbook, higher diversity communities are more often resistant to invasive species because the species is less likely to dominate over the native species. This was proven by scientists working in Long Island Sounds off the Coast of Connecticut created communities of different diversity consisting of sessile marine invertebrates, and examined how vulnerable the experimental communities were to an invasive species: the exontic tunicate. They found the tunicate was four times more likely to survive in lower diversity communities than higher diversity communities. It was concluded the diverse communities captured more of the resources available, leaving fewer resources for the invader. It is firmly believed by Carson that people should do much more simple research before transferring a foreign species to a new habitat to not only prevent a

In response to invasive species threats, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Environment and Transportation developed the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan. Its objectives are to prevent new intruders from disembarking and subsisting in Ontario, to reduce and reverse the extent of remaining invasive species and decrease its damaging impacts. Ballast water is a well-known source for the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species in the Canadian water bodies. In response, Canada and the United States placed strict regulations governing ocean-going ships and their ballast water. For example, requiring inspection and the flushing of tanks with salt water before entering other waterways. Collectively,

Although the first three stages of an invasion are important to understanding the invader, the impact stage of invasion is more important because it includes all the effects an invader has on the invaded ecosystem. For the rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, the impacts it has on an invaded area are a result of its natural behavior (McCarthy et al. 2006). Although this behavior is similar to native crayfish, the rusty crayfish is faster and more resilient than any other native crayfish (Kuhlmann 2008). As a result, the rusty crayfish not only outcompete other native crayfish, but also extensively preys on species that are used to the more passive and slower native crayfish (McCarthy et al. 2006). The impacts of the rusty crayfish on new environments include the direct and indirect effects of decreases in local populations, and hybridization with native crayfish species due to its ability to outcompete native crayfish.

The St.Lawrence river is a large tourist attraction for northern New York. With invasive species being introduced to the river and the land surrounding they have affected the way the river looks and the species that are in it. Any plant or animal found outside of its normal range is considered to be invasive to the area it is now located. There has been an estimated 163 invasive species that have been discovered in the Great Lakes and the St.Lawrence since the late 1800’s. Of the 163 species that have been unintentionally introduced to the area, 85 of them reside in the St.Lawrence river. The variety of non-native plants and animals in the St.Lawrence river and surrounding land have had a continuing negative effect on the native ecosystem.

Recently zebra mussels from Black Sea, stowed away in ballast water ships, invaded North American waters, they blocked the water lines of factories, nuclear power plants in the regions of Great Lakes. Just after the arrival of Christopher Columbus’s ships in America in 15th century resulted in worldwide exchange of disease, crops and animals in the 20th century practice of ships using water as ballast helped to unite the formerly diverse world’s harbours. Similarly, air transport allows the spread of insects and diseases that would not easily survive

With the increasing amount of disturbed habitats, invasive species could soon become the leading cause of ecological degradation (Soulé & Orians, 2001).  Invasive species can alter habitats in a number of ways.  Changes in the physical structure of the land are the most visually obvious.  Examples include narrowing stream channels, reducing sand supply to dunes, and stabilizing surfaces such as mudflats, and each invasive species goes about these changes in their own way.  For instance, the burrowing activities of Australian isopods cause the banks of tidal channels to collapse, leading to the widening of channels and the loss of vegetated salt marsh (Cox, 1999).  On the other hand, Japanese mussels that have invaded the San Diego area are stabilizing mudflats.  Although reaching Southern California in the 1960s,

Signal crayfish has become widespread through Europe in the last century due to human activities. Signal crayfish poses a threat for the endemic noble crayfish in most of the European countries as a vector of the crayfish plague and competition. As an invasive species, signal crayfish can alter the energy flow of the ecosystem through the food webs since, as omnivorous, it can feed from several trophic level, modifying the ecosystem assemblage. On the other hand, the noble crayfish is endangered due to several factors like water pollution, ecosystem alteration and crayfish plague; consequently, their restauration may be not possible. Therefore, this review aims to compile the effects of the invasive signal crayfish in European freshwater

Marine biologist play a key role in understanding climate change and identifying sustainable and profitable ways humans can use the sea and its resources. Marine biologist understand marine organisms needs in their habitats, ultimately helping protect species and reduce human threats. As experts in understanding marine habitats, marine biologist often form essential parts of relief teams. They respond to oil spills and chemical leaks, helping other scientist restore normalcy to local habitats. Sometimes, marine biologists influence other spheres, such as economics and law. They might analyze the effect of sonar on whales and seals, for instance, recommending best practices for reducing harm on those sensitive populations. Marine biologists understand how the ocean supports basic needs, and in turn relay that information to lawmakers, who establish protocols regarding human use of ocean waters and marine organisms. Marine biologist help develop ocean technology too, improving waste elimination, energy sourcing and extraction of key sources. A brief review of components of the marine environment, world food resources, climate control, air and water quality, transportation, and the ecosystem balance are important features that are studied by marine biology. So, understanding why marine biology is important is foundational to integrating a balanced approach toward management of the sea and proper stewardship of organisms,