Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Scientific Correspondence
  • Published:

Zebra mussels invade Lake Erie muds

Nature volume 393, pages 27–28 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) originated in western Russia but have now become widespread in Europe and North America. They are widely known for their conspicuous invasion of rocks and other hard substrates in North American and European watersheds1. We have found beds of zebra mussels (Fig. 1) directly colonizing sand and mud sediments each year across hundreds of square kilometres of North America's Lake Erie. This transformation of sedimentary habitats into mussel beds represents an unforeseen change in the invasive capacity of this species.

R. RATTNER

Adult mussels (10-30 mm in length) are seen extending 2-3 m across and up to 10 cm above the sediment surface. The presence of erect macrophytes at this depth demonstrates the increased water clarity resulting from extremely high filtration rates by mussels.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 2: Relationship between sediment grain size and percentage coverage by exotic dreissenid mussels.

References

  1. Nalepa, T. F. & Schloesser, D. W. (eds). Zebra Mussels: Biology, Impacts and Control (CRC, Boca Raton, 1993).

  2. Mills, E. L.et al. Am. Zool. 36, 271–286 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dermott, R. & Munawar, M. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50, 2294–2304 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Coakley, J. P., Brown, G. R., Ioannou, S. E. & Charlton, M. N. Wat. Air Soil Poll. 99, 623–632 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Griffiths, R., Schloesser, D. W., Leach, J. H. & Kovolak, W. P. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 48, 1381–1388 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Mellina, E. & Rasmussen, J. B. Can J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 51, 1024–1036 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Schloesser, D. W., Nalepa, T. F. & Mackie, G. L. Am. Zool. 36, 300–310 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ram, J. L., Fong, P. P. & Garton, D. W. Am. Zool. 36, 326–338 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  9. McQuest Marine Sciences. Report on SSS Surveys on Three Sites in Lake Erie: Chicken and Hen Island, East Sister Island and Chickenolee Reef (Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario, 1991).

  10. Thomas, R. L., Jaquet, J.-M., Kemp, A. L. W. & Lewis, C. F. M. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 33, 385–403 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Stanic, S., Briggs, K. B., Fleischer, P., Sawyer, W. B. & Ray, R. I. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 85, 125–136 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Edsall, T. A. et al. Use of Remote-Sensing Techniques to Survey the Physical Habitat of Large Rivers. Great Lakes Science Center Contribution No. 983 (US Geological Survey, Ann Arbor, 1997).

  13. Fuller, J. A. Distribution of Surficial Sediments in Ohio's Nearshore (Lake Erie) as Interpreted from SSS and 3.5 kHz Sub-Bottom Data. Open-File 96-520 (US Geological Survey, Reston, 1996).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, 108 Scott Hall, 1090 Carmack Road, Columbus, 43210, Ohio, USA

    Paul Arthur Berkman, Melissa A. Haltuch & Emily Tichich

  2. Ohio Sea Grant College Program, Ohio State University, 1541 Research Center, 1314 Kinnear Road, Columbus, 43212, Ohio, USA

    David W. Garton

  3. Biological Resources Division, United States Geological Survey, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, 48105, Michigan, USA

    Gregory W. Kennedy & John E. Gannon

  4. Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 1634 Sycamore Line, Sandusky, 44870, Ohio, USA

    Scudder D. Mackey, Jonathan A. Fuller & Dale L. Liebenthal

Authors
  1. Paul Arthur Berkman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Melissa A. Haltuch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Emily Tichich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David W. Garton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gregory W. Kennedy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. John E. Gannon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Scudder D. Mackey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jonathan A. Fuller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Dale L. Liebenthal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Berkman, P., Haltuch, M., Tichich, E. et al. Zebra mussels invade Lake Erie muds. Nature 393, 27–28 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/29902

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/29902

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing