Full Description

Zebra mussels and quagga mussels are invasive pest bivalves that evolved in Europe and southwest Asiaand first appeared in North America in the 1980s. First found in the U.S. in the Great Lakes region, thesemussels have recently been discovered west of the Continental Divide. The mussels' ability to attach tohard objects (e.g., lumber, boat trailers, etc.), withstand dessication, and be transported in water in theirfloating larval stages enabled trade and tourism to mediate their spread. Recreational boating is suggestedas the most likely vehicle for the recent intracontinental invasions of alpine and subalpine lakes in Europeand their transcontinental movement in North America. Unless controlled, mussels are known to causesevere biofouling effects to water intake systems of drinking water and electrical power plant companies.However, their total economic impact has been smaller than once feared. Likewise, their negativeimpacts on other organisms, though drastic in some areas, have also been smaller than predicted at thebeginning of their invasion of North America. Suggested and proven uses of zebra mussels in monitoringand other applications help ameliorate the economic costs and negative biological impacts that haveaccompanied the invasion of these aquatic pests. A new molecular method for validating theidentification of zebra mussels and quagga mussels is described. Includes 112 references, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 11/01/2009 Number of Pages: 20File Size: 1 file , 3.1 MB