Coastal+Ocean-Invasive+Species

 Invasive Species

There are many invasive species that are common in coastal oceans. This is because many animals travel across the country to find food, water, mates, or something in those categories. __Invasive Species:__ Zebra Mussel

__Description:__ small, fingernail-sized mussels

__Orgin:__ native to the Caspian Sea region of Asia

__Predators:__ diving ducks and freshwater drum

__Likely means of spread:__ Microscopic larvae may be carried in livewells or bilgewater. Adults can attach to boats or boating equipment that is in the water.

__Prey:__ they filter out nearly all the phytoplankton (and small zooplankton) in the 15-40 micrometer size. By removing most of the food for microscopic zooplankton and filter feeders, which in turn support larval and juvenile fishes and other animals, zebra mussels can effectively starve the native populations of infested lakes and rivers. Lakes that were full of phytoplankton before zebra mussel infestation are devoid of the algae afterwards.

__Problems:__ Besides clogging pipes and devouring most of the available microscopic food supply, zebra mussels may present a health hazard by increasing human and wildlife exposure to organic pollutants such as PCBs and PAHs. Studies have shown that zebra mussels can accumulate the pollutants in their tissues in concentrations 300,000 times greater than in the environment. They deposit these pollutants as pseudofeces, loose pellets of mucous mixed with particulate matter that they filter from the water. Scavenging animals that eat the pseudofeces may pass these pollutants up the food chain. When the zebra mussels coat bathing beaches, the sharp-edged mussels cut the tender feet of swimmers. 

Zebra Mussels taking over the beach.

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