How Did Zebra Mussels Reach the United States?
Zebra mussels were first discovered in Lake St. Clair near Detroit, MI and from there they spread to the Great Lakes. But how did they reach Lake St. Clair, an inland lake, from their home in Russia near the Caspian Sea? Doug Jensen, an aquatic invasive species specialist asserts, “Canals built during the late 1700s allowed the mussel to spread throughout eastern Europe.” He goes on to explain that more canals were built in the 1800s which made shipping easier but also opened the door for zebra mussels to increase their range. Jensen says, “By 1830 the mussels had covered much of Europe and Britain. But how did the mussels get from Europe to the United States? The answer is simple. They hitched a ride in ballast water discharged from a transoceanic vessel into Lake St. Clair. The St Lawrence Seaway, a series of manmade locks and canals in the St. Lawrence River between Ontario and Montreal, connected freshwater ports on the Great Lakes to the global shipping network. In doing so it mir
