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Quagga Mussels in the Great Lakes Region What's New | Overview | Distribution Maps | Studies/Management Plans | Federal Resources | State/Provincial Resources Current invaders:
Crustaceans: Rusty Crayfish | Spiny Water FleaFish: Goby (Round) | Goby (Tubenose) | Rudd | Ruffe | Sea Lamprey | White Perch Mollusks: Quagga Mussel | Zebra Mussel Plants: Curly-leaf Pondweed | Eurasian Watermilfoil | Phragmites (non-native) | Purple Loosestrife Viruses: Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSv) Potential invaders:
Fish: Asian Carp [Invasive species home page] 
What's New Salties bring no new invaders, thanks to ‘swish and spit’ Duluth News Tribune (4/11) Supporters say saltwater flush is working to thwart invasives until ballast treatment arrives in Great Lakes. Algae gunks up Lake Ontario beaches on the US side more than the Canadian side Great Lakes Echo (3/9) On the Canadian side of Lake Ontario, water from tributaries mixes with cleaner lake water more quickly than on the U.S. side, cutting down the amount of algae near the beach. 10 invasive species threatening Canadian habitats CBC News (2/23) From parasites to crabs and living slime affectionately dubbed "rock snot," invasive species can wreak havoc in a new habitat. Take a look at 10 non-native plants and animals that are disrupting ecosystems in Canada. Environmentalists threaten suit over ballast rule Wall Street Journal (2/21) Groups on Tuesday threatened to file another lawsuit in their long-running battle over ballast water discharges from cargo ships blamed for spreading invasive species in the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters. Great Lakes foster different type of comeback The Times Herald (2/17) Michigan shows the fastest job growth anywhere, and native lake trout are filling up the Great Lakes. But another native, the slimy green algae called Cladophora, is making a big comeback. Invasion of the Great Lakes: Quagga mussels least known, most dangerous invader The Voice (1/17) The little known quagga mussel is presenting a much more immediate danger to lake ecology than its more famous cousin - the zebra mussel - ever did.
Overview Quagga mussels were first discovered in the Great Lakes in 1989 near Port Colborne of Lake Erie. They were found coexisting with dense populations of zebra mussels (Dreissena polyymorpha). Although these invasive mollusks are genetically and morphologically distinct, both have biological characteristics allowing their establishment and spread to watersheds across the United States. While zebra mussels are generally limited to the colonization of hard substrates (e.g., rocky bottoms and water intake structures), quagga mussels are able to colonize soft substrate. This characteristic has allowed the quagga mussel to spread to areas of sand and sandy silt, such as the bottom of Lake Erie. Quagga mussels are also better able to flourish in low-food conditions than zebra mussels, allowing them to colonize less productive waters in much greater numbers. Environmental impact: quaggas are extremely effective in filtering water for food, removing large amounts of phytoplankton and suspended particulate, decreasing the food supply for zooplankton and forage fishes, and thereby impacting the entire food web. Quagga mussel filtering has dramatically reduced primary production (photosynthetic production of chemical energy) in lakes Michigan and Huron. There have been significant impacts to the spring bloom of diatoms (silica based algae) by quagga infestations, disrupting the lower food web. Dreissenid mussels, including the quagga, have been implicated in the basin wide crash of populations of Diporeia, a bottom-dwelling invertebrate that once served as an important food source to many Great Lakes fishes. In addition to altering food webs, quagga mussels accumulate contaminants within their tissues, which can affect wildlife that feed on the species. The quagga mussel also clogs water intake structures, such as pipes and screens, thereby reducing pumping capacity for power and water treatment plants and causing significant economic impacts to industries, companies, and communities. Recreation-based industries and activities also have been impacted by the quagga mussel as docks, breakwalls, buoys, boats, and beaches all have been heavily colonized by this species. Photo credit: U.S. Geological Survey  View full, print-ready factsheet
Distribution Maps
Studies, Assessments and Management Plans A Review of the Biology and Ecology of the Quagga Mussel (Dreissena bugensis), a Second Species of Freshwater Dreissenid Introduced to North America (1996) Mills, E.L.,G. Rosenberg, A.P. Spidle, M. Ludyanskiy, Y. Pligin, and B. May From the Symposium Biology, Ecology and Physiology of Zebra Mussels presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Zoologists, 4-g January 1995, at St. Louis, Missouri. Impact of Zebra and Quagga Mussels (Dreissena spp.) on Freshwater Unionids (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the Detroit River (1998) Schloesser, D.W., W. P. Kovalak, G. D. Longton, K. L. Ohnesorg and R. D. Smithee The goal of this study was to assess the impact of zebra and quagga mussel infestation on unionids (Bivalvia: Unionidae). Unionids were sampled in the Detroit River in 1982–1983, before mussels invaded the river, and in 1992 and 1994, after mussels invaded the river. Quagga-Zebra Mussel Action Plan for Western U.S. Waters (2010) Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species This plan summarizes current dreissenid mussel management strategies of agencies across all levels of government, identifies priority actions, and makes recommendations on ways to coordinate activities.
U.S. and Canadian Federal Resources Dreissena Species FAQs, A Closer Look U.S. Geological Survey-Florida Integrated Science Center Quagga Mussel Sightings Distribution U.S. Geological Survey - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Species Profiles: Quagga Mussel U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Invasive Species Information Center State and Provincial Resources Great Lakes Photography: Quagga Mussel Michigan Sea Grant Quagga Mussel - Alien Profile Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Environmental Education for Kids Quagga Mussel Classification Table Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Quagga Mussel Fact Sheet Pennsylvania Sea Grant Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis) Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Quagga Mussels Fact Sheet Michigan Sea Grant Zebra Mussel & Quagga Mussel – Fact Sheet Pennsylvania Sea Grant
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