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Zebra Mussel Invasion
The Hudson River, which is located between New York and New Jersey, is an important body of water to all life in the region. ...
The most problematic species right now in the Hudson is the zebra mussel. The Zebra Mussel first invaded the Great Lakes and then was noticed in the Hudson River in 1991, more then likely spread by human error. These mussels like to attach to man-made structures ,like boats, to aid in their spread. ... These mussels are filter feeders that feed by pumping water into their bodies through an intake siphon, filtering out particles of food, and then pumping the water back out. ... On average, a 25 mm long Zebra Mussel can filter one liter of water per day. ... For these reasons Phytoplankton are of primary interest to scientists to determine how much of an effect the mussels are having. ... Since the invasion of these mussels there has been a significant decrease in plankton numbers. It is believed that when the Zebra Mussel invaded the Great Lakes, in 1988, it actually made the water clearer from less plankton. If there is a change in plankton the entire food chain can be disrupted because these mussels will be taking food from other creatures in the water, which in turn may be taking food from something else. The Zebra Mussel poses many threats to humans as well as to natural ecosystems. One immediate and very costly threat is that Zebra Mussels clog water pipes. ... When these intake pipes become clogged with Zebra Mussels, power plant operation and municipal water supplies are threatened.
Approximate Word count = 1280
Approximate Pages = 5.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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