What damage can zebra mussels cause?
Though small in size, zebra mussels can cause huge problems in our provincial lakes and rivers: • Because of their large appetite for algae and other microscopic organisms, they can permanently alter lake ecosystems and food chains. When a food chain is disrupted, it can lead to a decline in sport fish stocks. • They can clog the cooling systems of boat motors. • They can clog intake pipes used to supply water to cottages, cities and major industries. Zebra mussels multiply rapidly. A single female mussel can produce up to one million eggs in a summer spawning period! Since they originate in Europe, zebra mussels have few natural predators in North America and none can keep up with their rapid rate of reproduction. The best way to protect our watersheds from the damage caused by zebra mussels, is to prevent them from invading our lakes and rivers. Zebra mussels attach themselves to hard surfaces and often use pipes as habitat because there is always a constant flow of water and food. Z
