Invasive Species We Study: Invasive Mussels Active
Invasive zebra and quagga mussels (collectively called dreissenid mussels) have significant ecological and economic effects. Dreissenids negatively affect industrial and municipal infrastructure, recreational water users, and they severely alter aquatic ecosystems by consuming algae and plankton. USGS has been conducting research on rapid response and control of dreissenid mussels in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River basins for several years, including evaluating the application of targeted molluscicides, assessing the effects of molluscicides on non-target species, and developing genetic tools for dreissenid mussel detection.
Invasive Mussel Research
Hydroacoustic detection of dreissenid mussels and their habitat: an innovative way to detect dreissenid infestations and model preferred habitat for future colonization
Development of Sampling Protocols and Diagnostic Tools for Assessment of Freshwater Mussel Health
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels
Development of Selective Control Tools
Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide to Control Dreissenid Mussels
Evaluation of Copper as a Control Agent for Invasive Mussels
Carbon Dioxide for General Aquatic Invasive Species Control
Developing RNA Interference to Control Zebra Mussels
The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert Risk Mapper (ARM)
Species Studied by the Western Fisheries Research Center
BOR environmental DNA sampling for invasive mussels at USGS gages
Avoidance behavior of cold-, cool-, and warmwater fish exposed to Zequanox in a two-choice preference chamber
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS invasive mussel research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS invasive mussel data is available from the button below.
Use of Carbon Dioxide to Prevent Settlement of Dreissenid Mussels
Avoidance behavior of cold-, cool-, and warmwater fish exposed to Zequanox in a two-choice preference chamber, data release
Assessments of the binary mixtures of four toxicants on Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) mortality, data release
Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2020 (ver. 2, May 2023)
Zebra and Quagga Mussel Dry Weight Information; Lake Erie 2014
Mercury concentrations and isotopic compositions in biota and sediments from the Hannibal Pool of the Ohio River
Environmental DNA surveillance data for USGS streamgage sampling in the Columbia River Basin, 2018
Environmental DNA robotic and manual sampling data, Yellowstone and Snake Rivers, 2017-2019
PCR results from dreissenid mussel round robin assay analyses, 2018-2019
Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2019 (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2018 (ver. 2.0, June 2023)
Assessment of uncontained Zequanox applications in a Midwestern lake data
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS invasive mussel research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS invasive mussel publications is available from the button below.
An initial assessment of plankton tow detection probabilities for dreissenid mussels in the western United States
Depth drives growth dynamics of dreissenid mussels in Lake Ontario
Limited co-existence of native unionids and invasive dreissenid mussels more than 30 Y post dreissenid invasion in a large river system
Use of carbon dioxide to prevent zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) settlement and effects on native mussels (Order Unionoida) and benthic communities
Lake Ontario 2018 coordinated science and monitoring initiative (CSMI) quagga mussel growth experiment and a lake-wide quagga mussel condition assessment
An experimental evaluation of the efficacy of imaging flow cytometry (FlowCam) for detecting invasive Dreissened and Corbiculid bivalve veligers
Concentration addition and independent action assessments of the binary mixtures of four toxicants on zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) mortality
Improved methods for understanding the role of predation on dreissenid population dynamics
Calcium concentrations in the lower Columbia River, USA, are generally sufficient to support invasive bivalve spread
Spatial and temporal distributions of Dreissena spp. veligers in Lake Huron: Does calcium limit settling success?
Avoidance of cold-, cool-, and warm-water fishes to Zequanox® exposure
Movement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA
- Overview
Invasive zebra and quagga mussels (collectively called dreissenid mussels) have significant ecological and economic effects. Dreissenids negatively affect industrial and municipal infrastructure, recreational water users, and they severely alter aquatic ecosystems by consuming algae and plankton. USGS has been conducting research on rapid response and control of dreissenid mussels in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River basins for several years, including evaluating the application of targeted molluscicides, assessing the effects of molluscicides on non-target species, and developing genetic tools for dreissenid mussel detection.
Invasive Mussel ResearchFilter Total Items: 20Hydroacoustic detection of dreissenid mussels and their habitat: an innovative way to detect dreissenid infestations and model preferred habitat for future colonization
The proposed project will explore the technology of hydroacoustics to detect dreissenid mussels and analyze habitat variables to model preferred future habitat locations to help control the spread of invasive dreissenid mussels.Development of Sampling Protocols and Diagnostic Tools for Assessment of Freshwater Mussel Health
Assessing Impacts of Emerging and Established Diseases to Aquatic Ecosystems The role of disease in freshwater mussel declines has been largely ignored due to the lack of appropriate diagnostic tools. Furthermore, health assessment of mussels in conjunction with restoration and propagation has not been considered during stocking and augmentation activities. This project will develop standard...Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels
Dreissenid mussels have posed an aquatic invasive species challenge in the United States since their arrival in the Great Lakes in the 1980s. Zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha ) and Quagga ( D. bugensis ) mussels are filter feeders with high reproductive capacity. Their behaviors result in altered nutrient cycles, shifts in trophic structures, and extirpation of some native species in systems where...Development of Selective Control Tools
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels Currently, dreissenid mussel populations are spreading and becoming a growing problem in many aquatic systems, making it important to find management techniques that are selective for the invasive mussel populations while leaving the native populations intact. Control technology for dreissenids in open water currently relies on a limited number of...Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide to Control Dreissenid Mussels
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been suggested as a chemical control for a variety of invasive aquatic organisms, including Asian Carp. USGS researchers and partners evaluated the efficacy of low CO2 concentrations for preventing zebra mussel larval (veliger) settlement and during summer 2019 in a harbor of the upper Mississippi River. The lowest CO2 concentration...Evaluation of Copper as a Control Agent for Invasive Mussels
Management Tools for Dreissenid Mussels USGS researchers and partners conducted an experimental application of low dose copper, as EarthTecQZ, to a bay in Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. The veliger density and settlement were compared to that of an untreated bay within the same lake. The copper application produced a substantial reduction in zebra mussel abundance of early life stages, juvenile...Carbon Dioxide for General Aquatic Invasive Species Control
Invasive Carp Control: Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for general aquatic invasive species control. Most research has focused on its effectiveness as a behavioral deterrent and lethal control or invasive carps. However, because CO2 is generally non-selective, there is potential for this new control chemical to be applied across a wide range of...Developing RNA Interference to Control Zebra Mussels
We aim to develop a control tool for eliminating zebra mussels that exploits natural gene regulation mechanisms (RNA-induced gene silencing; RNAi) to be specific to zebra mussels without non-target effects. In addition to the nuisance they pose, Pimentel et al . estimated that zebra mussels cost the U.S. economy over $1 billion annually. Zebra mussels are among the International Union for...The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert Risk Mapper (ARM)
The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) program has developed a new tool, the NAS Alert Risk Mapper (ARM), to characterize waterbodies in the conterminous U.S. and Hawaii at potential risk of invasion from a new nonindigenous species sighting.Species Studied by the Western Fisheries Research Center
Many species are studied at the Western Fisheries Research Center. These species include bacteria, birds, fish, invertebrates, parasites, plants, and viruses. The list contains both common and scientific names, and where each are being studied on the WFRC landscape.BOR environmental DNA sampling for invasive mussels at USGS gages
As part of an ongoing project funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and lead by the Idaho Water Sciences Center (IDWSC) and Northern Rocky Mountain Research Center (NOROCK), the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) will analyze environmental DNA samples collected at gage stations directly downstream of multiple reservoirs throughout the Columbia River Basin. The goal of this project...Avoidance behavior of cold-, cool-, and warmwater fish exposed to Zequanox in a two-choice preference chamber
Zebra ( Dreissenia polymorpha , Pallas 1771) and quagga ( D. bugensis , Andrusov 1897) mussels, collectively referred to as dreissenid mussels, are invasive bivalves native to the Ponto-Caspian region of Eurasia (Stepien et al. 2013; Benson 2018a). High fecundity and a free-swimming planktonic life stage allow for easy and rapid dispersal of dreissenid mussels (Mackie 1991; Marsden et al. 2013)... - Data
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS invasive mussel research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS invasive mussel data is available from the button below.
Use of Carbon Dioxide to Prevent Settlement of Dreissenid Mussels
Dreissenid management has focused primarily on chemical tools which are efficacious, but not without ecological or economic costs. There is a need for additional control tools that are less expensive, readily available, and will not leave a residue after treatment. Carbon dioxide has these advantages over chemical pesticides and has demonstrated effectiveness for control of a range of aquatic invaAvoidance behavior of cold-, cool-, and warmwater fish exposed to Zequanox in a two-choice preference chamber, data release
Zequanox® is an EPA-registered biopesticide for controlling populations of dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga mussels). Zequanox has demonstrated selective toxicity toward dreissenid mussels; however, a recent laboratory study indicated the potential for Zequanox to impact a non-target salmonid species. We assessed the potential exposure risk by observing the avoidance behavior of two representaAssessments of the binary mixtures of four toxicants on Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) mortality, data release
This dataset captures the Zebra Mussel dose-response to four independent toxicants and each binary mixture of those toxicants. Toxicants included EarthTec QZ, Clam-Trol CT-2 (syn. Spectrus CT1300), niclosamide, and potassium chloride. Each dose of toxicant was verified with either ICP-OES or UHPLC, depending on analyte, and comparison to a standard curve. Mortality was tabulated for each observatiCladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2020 (ver. 2, May 2023)
This dataset records Cladophora and associated submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) biomass collected during the growing season of 2020 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: - measurements of Secchi disk depth and water chemistry; - wateZebra and Quagga Mussel Dry Weight Information; Lake Erie 2014
Impacts of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena spp.) on Great Lakes ecosystems are well documented, and a better understanding of mechanisms that cause variation in mussel abundance is needed. An outstanding question is how much mussel biomass is consumed by fish predation. A significant difficulty for investigating mussel consumption by fish is that mussels in stomachs are often a mix of crushed shellMercury concentrations and isotopic compositions in biota and sediments from the Hannibal Pool of the Ohio River
The Hannibal Pool of the Ohio River is heavily industrialized and receives direct effluent discharges from coal power plants, chlor-alkali plants, and sewage treatment facilities. Mercury (Hg) is a contaminant of concern due to the risk of bioaccumulation at wildlife refuges also located within this region. Mercury concentrations and isotopes compositions were measured to assess the levels and souEnvironmental DNA surveillance data for USGS streamgage sampling in the Columbia River Basin, 2018
Environmental DNA quantitative PCR results for water samples collected in 2018 at USGS streamgages downstream of Columbia River Basin reservoirs that are considered to have moderate to high suitability for invasive dreissenid mussels. Water samples were tested for DNA of dreissenid mussels, kokanee salmon, and yellow perch. This is version 1.1 of this data release. The Kokanee_Perch_eDNA data anEnvironmental DNA robotic and manual sampling data, Yellowstone and Snake Rivers, 2017-2019
Environmental DNA detection results from samples collected using autonomous water sampling robots and manual approaches. Samples were collected in the Upper Yellowstone River (Montana) and Upper Snake River (Idaho/Wyoming) in 2018 and 2019. Samples were tested for the DNA of the following species: the waterborne protozoa Naegleria spp., the fish pathogen Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, Scomber japoPCR results from dreissenid mussel round robin assay analyses, 2018-2019
Real-time PCR results of a round robin evaluation of 5 assays that target dreissenid mussel DNA. Water samples collected from waters with and without dreissenid mussels were analyzed using these five assays in four USGS laboratories. Samples from waters without dreissenid mussels were spiked with known amounts of dreissend DNA.Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2019 (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
This dataset records Cladophora and associated submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) biomass collected approximately monthly during the growing season of 2019 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: - seasonal time series of light,Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2018 (ver. 2.0, June 2023)
This dataset records Cladophora and associated submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) biomass collected approximately monthly during the growing season of 2018 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: - seasonal time series of light,Assessment of uncontained Zequanox applications in a Midwestern lake data
We applied Zequanox using a custom-engineered, boat mounted application system to replicated 0.30 Hectare plots within a small inland lake. The objectives of these applications were to determine if uncontained, open-water Zequanox applications could effectively control zebra mussel populations and protect native unionid mussel populations within zebra mussel infested systems. The datasets included - Publications
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS invasive mussel research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS invasive mussel publications is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 15An initial assessment of plankton tow detection probabilities for dreissenid mussels in the western United States
Early detection of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) is crucial to mitigating the economic and environmental impacts of an infestation. Plankton tow sampling is a common method used for early detection of dreissenid mussels, but little is known about the sampling intensity required for a high probability of early detection using the method. We used implicit dynAuthorsMeaghan Winder, Adam J. Sepulveda, Andrew HoeghDepth drives growth dynamics of dreissenid mussels in Lake Ontario
Understanding dreissenid mussel population dynamics and their impacts on lake ecosystems requires quantifying individual growth across a range of habitats. Most dreissenid mussel growth rates have been estimated in nutrient rich or nearshore environments, but mussels have continued to expand into deep, cold, low-nutrient habitats of the Great Lakes. We measured annual quagga mussel (Dreissena rostAuthorsAshley Elgin, Paul Glyshaw, Brian C. WeidelLimited co-existence of native unionids and invasive dreissenid mussels more than 30 Y post dreissenid invasion in a large river system
There are serious concerns for native freshwater mussel survival (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the Laurentian Great Lakes region after populations were seemingly pushed to the brink of extirpation following the introduction of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) in the mid-1980s. The Detroit River was the first major river system in North America to be invaded by dreiAuthorsS. Keretz, D. Woolnough, Edward F. Roseman, T.J. Morris, A. Elgin, D.T. ZanattaUse of carbon dioxide to prevent zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) settlement and effects on native mussels (Order Unionoida) and benthic communities
We determined the efficacy of carbon dioxide (CO2) for preventing larval (veliger) settlement of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and compared the response of native juvenile mussels and macroinvertebrate and periphyton communities to hypercapnia. A microcosm system of control (ambient Camb) and CO2 treatments [low PCO2 (Clow)=35,094 µatm, and high PCO2 (Chigh)=66,685 µatm)] was suAuthorsDiane L. Waller, Lynn A. Bartsch, Michelle Bartsch, Matthew J Meulemans, Thomas J. Zolper, Todd J. SeversonLake Ontario 2018 coordinated science and monitoring initiative (CSMI) quagga mussel growth experiment and a lake-wide quagga mussel condition assessment
No abstract available.AuthorsAshley Elgin, Paul Glyshaw, Brian C. WeidelAn experimental evaluation of the efficacy of imaging flow cytometry (FlowCam) for detecting invasive Dreissened and Corbiculid bivalve veligers
Zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga (D. bugensis) mussels, first introduced from central Asia into the Great Lakes of North America in the late 1980s, have crossed the continental divide and more recently spread across western North America. At the same time, several new technologies have been developed for the early detection of dreissenids, including the FlowCam, a digital imaging-in-flow inAuthorsWhitney Hassett, Julie Zimmerman, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Stephen M. Bollens, Timothy CounihanConcentration addition and independent action assessments of the binary mixtures of four toxicants on zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) mortality
Researchers most often focus on individual toxicants when identifying effective chemical control agents for aquatic invasive species; however, toxicant mixtures may elicit synergistic effects. Synergistic effects may decrease required concentrations and shorten exposure durations for treatments. We investigated four toxicants (EarthTec QZ, Clam-Trol CT-2, niclosamide, and potassium chloride) thatAuthorsMatthew Barbour, Justin Schueller, Todd J. Severson, Jeremy K. Wise, Matthew J Meulemans, James A. Luoma, Diane L. WallerImproved methods for understanding the role of predation on dreissenid population dynamics
Impacts of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena spp.) on Great Lakes ecosystems are well documented, and a better understanding of mechanisms that cause variation in dreissenid abundance is needed. An outstanding question is how much dreissenid biomass is consumed by fish predation. A significant difficulty for investigating dreissenid consumption by fish is that dreissenids in stomachs are often a mix oAuthorsKevin R. Keretz, Richard Kraus, Joseph SchmittCalcium concentrations in the lower Columbia River, USA, are generally sufficient to support invasive bivalve spread
Dissolved calcium concentration [Ca2+] is thought to be a major factor limiting the establishment and thus the spread of invasive bivalves such as zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga (Dreissena bugensis) mussels. We measured [Ca2+] in 168 water samples collected along ~100 river-km of the lower Columbia River, USA, between June 2018 and March 2020. We found [Ca2+] to range from 13 to 18 mg L−1AuthorsStephen M. Bollens, John A. Harrison, Marc G. Kramer, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Timothy Counihan, Salvador B. Robb-Chavez, Sean T. NolanSpatial and temporal distributions of Dreissena spp. veligers in Lake Huron: Does calcium limit settling success?
The larval stage of invasive Dreissena spp. mussels (i.e., veligers) are understudied despite their seasonal numerical dominance among plankton. We report the spring and summer veliger densities and size structure across the main basin, North Channel, and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, and seek to explain spatiotemporal variation. Monthly sampling was conducted at 9 transects and up to 3 sites per trAuthorsDarren S. Kirkendall, David Bunnell, Patricia Dieter, Lauren A. Eaton, Anett S Trebitz, Nicole M WatsonAvoidance of cold-, cool-, and warm-water fishes to Zequanox® exposure
Zequanox® is a biopesticide registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency for controlling dreissenid mussels with demonstrated selective toxicity. However, some research has indicated that Zequanox may impact the body condition and survival of some non-target species. We assessed avoidance behaviors of two species of cold-, cool-,AuthorsMatthew Barbour, James A. Luoma, Todd J. Severson, Jeremy K. Wise, Barbara BennieMovement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA
Introductions of dreissenid mussels in North America have been a significant concern over the last few decades. This study assessed the distribution of synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) in the food web of Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona, USA and how this distribution was influenced by the introduction of invasive quagga mussels. A clear spatial gradient of SOC concentrations in water was observed betweAuthorsSteven L. Goodbred, Michael R. Rosen, Reynaldo Patiño, David Alvarez, Kathy R. Echols, Kerensa King, John Umek