The Invasion of Zebra Mussels

You just had a great day on the water and you are loading your boat back up on your trailer when you notice something, something black and stripped. Well what is that? You have just come across an invasive species called Zebra Mussels.


Zebra Mussels are small freshwater mussels that originated in the southern lakes of Russia. How did they get here? They have been accidentally introduced to other areas all over the world. They made their first North American appearance in the Great Lakes in 1988 and has spread rapidly ever since.


Now I’m sure you are asking what is so wrong with them. The problem comes in because the Zebra Mussels grow right on top of each other. They start to stick on an intake pipe and they keep forming layer after layer until the pipe is completely blocked. They are also very hard to remove. You have to go down underwater and chisel them away. It is like chiseling away at concrete.


You know where the Zebra Mussels came from and why they are bad. Now, what can you do about it? Doing your part to help stop this invasive species from spreading. How do you do it? Each time you get out of the water give your boat an inspection. If you see any mussels, you need to take your boat into a certified cleaning facility, like us here at Omaha Marine Center, and have them removed. Making sure that you are not spreading the mussels to any more lakes is the biggest thing that you can do to help.


If you want more information on Zebra Mussels please click here to learn more.