Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: offshore between Longpoint and Port Colborne/Ontario/Lake Erie (4-11/1986, Carlton 2008)
Geographic Extent
offshore between Longpoint and Port Colborne/Ontario/Lake Erie (4-11/1986, Carlton 2008); Dunkirk/NY/Lake Erie (1989, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2012)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Ballast Water |
Regional Impacts
| Economic Impact | Industry | |
| Fouling of natural gas wellheads by zebra mussels, off Ontario, caused maintenance problems by 1990 (Carlton 2008). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Herbivory | |
| Reduction in chlorophyl a and increased light penetration, since the onset of the dreissenid invasions, was also seen in the eastern basin of Lake Erie (North et al. 2012). | ||
References
Carlton, James T. (2008) The Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha found in North America in 1986 and 1987, Journal of Great Lakes Research 34: 770-773North, Rebecca L. and 6 authors (2012) Distribution of seston and nutrient concentrations in the eastern basin of Lake Erie pre- and post-dreissenid mussel invasion, Journal of Great Lakes Research 38: 463-476
2003-2022 Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, FL. http://nas.er.usgs.gov