zebra mussels - Get to Work!

[freedivernd]

I was just in Lizzie, a lake that is known to have zebra mussels.  I can tell you that they haven't made a difference yet in the clarity.  I'm wondering, did we get bad zebra mussels??!!  I have read that zebra mussels can filter up to 1 gallon of water day so I suppose it's going to take 'em awhile but I wish they'd speed up the process.. it was bad bad vis today.  It will be interesting to watch how the transformation takes place and if it does.  yah yah.. I know, they're bad.. but they're good too.
Fred

[scubafreek864]

Zebra mussels are filter feeders. An adult zebra mussel filters up to a quart of water per day, which multiplied by millions of mussels means that the mussels may be filtering all the water in a lake or stream in a day. The animals and algae that are the food of zebra mussels are also the food for larval fish and other native species, so a large zebra mussel population may cause a decline in other animals, including native fish, mollusks, and birds. The filter-feeding activity of zebra mussels causes a related and frequently dramatic increase in water clarity in infested lakes and rivers.

[popolarbear]

they may make no difference in clearity or even make clarity worse after they become established. some of the clearest water i have see in the metro was caused by Daphnia explosions. with zebra muscles the daphnia populations would possibly be lowered. the milky cloudiness that causes much of our low vis would not be helped.

[popolarbear]

In lake Michigan we were looking at a spot that was getting shallower as a result of a colony of zebra mussels growing appon itself. layer upon layer. it will be interesting to see how this species will change lake structure and depth after its been present for some time.

[scubafreek864]

Any documentation to go with this??