7790 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

INTRODUCTION F/GORE ~. THE EXOTIC ZEBRA MUSSEL, DREISSENA POLYMORPHA, !S AN UNWELCOME /NVADER OF NORTH .AMERICAN FRESHWATER SYSTEMS, WHERE lT HAS PROL/FERATEO S/NCE lTS ~JSB INTRODUCTION. measures, spread of the zebra mussel to every habitable region of North America is inevitable (Carlton 1993). The brief history of the zebra mussel invasion and spread in the United States, and its known dispersal elsewhere (Carlton 1993), suggests that it is only a matter of time before the zebra mussel spreads across the Western United States. The Western United States has large ~'he exotic zebra mussel, 1 Drei.t.rena polymor~ha (Figure 1), has rapidly spread across the Eastern United States and Canada. so quickly that prevention efforts have generally not been implemented before the mussel invaded. Thus, the major efforts to combat the zebra mussel in arid and semiarid territories that may provide the first realistic opportunity to slow or stop the further spread of the zebra mussel. It is unknown how effective the zebra mussel will be in This fouling organism has caused millions of dollars of damage to municipal and industrial water facilities, and this damage has gener- ated much interest in control technol- ogy (Miller et al. 1992). However, little progress has been made in preventing the spread of the zebra mussel because the mussel has spread the Eastern United States have focused primarily on its control and eradication (Nalepa and Schloesser 1993). Until recently little has been done to address its containment and the prevention of its further spread. Most experts believe that, in the absence of effective preventative colonizing aquatic environments in arid regions, but there is little doubt that it will do well in some locations and environments. As an example, this species may thrive in the moist environment of the Pacific Northwest, where it could adversely affect aquatic systems that may already be stressed by anthropogenic development. Large