Since 1988, the Eurasian zebra mussel has been colonizing the Great Lakes. This exotic species has been known to clog pipes from water and sewage treatment plants and even sink navigational aids with their weight.
Now researchers are pinpointing how those mussels infect new lakes. Common theories usually involve the muscles attaching to pleasure boats and hitching a ride when the boats are taken out of the water and then put into another lake shortly thereafter.
New research has pinpointed several places the muscles hide on the boats: attaching to the anchor, entangled aquatic weeds, engine cooling system, bilge water, live wells and bait buckets.
\The results of this study clearly demonstrate the potential for recreational boating to transport zebra mussels away from infested waters,"" said Ladd Johnson of Laval University. ""Since the zebra mussel is already well established in many North American waterways, the key to containing the species is to limit secondary spread. This study will enable policy makers and boaters to make informed decisions about their actions in order to reduce their contribution to a costly environmental problem.""
