Picture this: you're having a nice weekend at the lake with your family, fishing, swimming, and having an all-around great time. But then you notice that your boat isn't running as well as it should, especially considering you just cleaned it and made sure everything was in perfect condition before leaving your house. Puzzled, you take your boat out of the water to notice that the hull and motor is covered in tiny clam-like creatures, making your pristine white boat look like something that was just drug out of the bottom of the lake. What are these animals that ruined your weekend of fun? They are zebra mussels, and are found in lakes, rivers, and other bodies of freshwater across the U.S. Normally found in Eastern Europe, the first group of this invasive species hitched a ride in the ballast tanks of ocean liners in the 1980s, and quickly spread. Regulations are in place to stop the spread, but removing them from places that have already been infested is tricky. Today we will talk about the damages zebra mussels cause, how this problem is managed, and what you can do to help. A single female zebra mussel can produce up to a million eggs a year. Even though only about 20,000 of these survive to adulthood, this quickly adds up, leading to …show more content…
the nearly 10 trillion zebra mussels that are found in the Great Lakes today, let alone the thousands of other bodies of water they have invaded. Zebra mussels seem relatively harmless because of their small size, usually less than an inch in diameter, and in small numbers they aren't too much of an issue. But zebra mussels don't come in small numbers. Zebra mussels interfere with many human water recreation activities, as they will cling to any solid surface they can find, including the hull or motor of a boat, and their sharp shell means many swimmers are injured each year when they cut themselves on a zebra mussel. Zebra mussels are also devastating to the ecosystems in the areas they aren't native to. Zebra mussels are natural filter feeders, which means they 'pump' water through their bodies and remove the plankton to sustain themselves. Over time, the amounts of plankton in the water get depleted, reducing the food supply for fish and other aquatic animals. The newfound clarity of the water also encourages algae blooms as more light reaches the bottom. Both of these phenomena further upsetting the ecosystem, killing virtually all plant and animal life in that body of water, with the exception of the zebra mussel. Current actions done to remove and prevent the spread of zebra mussels usually involve some kind of pesticide, but this method usually can kill more than just the mussels and cause dangerous water pollution.
Also, it takes years to replenish the biodiversity of a lake after it has been infested by zebra mussels. Although little can be done to restore a body of water after zebra mussels have moved in, you can help stop the spread of zebra mussels. Proper cleaning of equipment, disposing of unused bait, and letting equipment dry completely dry before placing it in another body of water will effectively remove any traces of adults, larvae, and zebra mussel eggs and stop them from spreading to the next place you take your boat
to. When zebra mussels were brought to America from Europe, they brought with them the destruction of thousands of lake and pond ecosystems. Although the recovery is slow, measures are being taken to reduce the number of areas infested with this invasive species, and you can help by preventing the spread of zebra mussels to somewhere else.
It’s important that Zebra Mussels are dealt with great care. Zebra Mussels get their food and energy from filtering water. Nearly a quart can be filtered by and adult Zebra Mussel (“Zebra Mussels,” 2013, para. 5). So if there was an infestation of Zebra Mussels in a lake they could filter a lo...
Zebra mussels are filter-feeding organisms, They remove particles from sediments on lake bottoms. The zebra mussels process up to one gallon of water...
Known as Pterois Volitans in the animal kingdom, also called the red lionfish, is a sight to behold in the tropical waters as they swim like an underwater butterfly in the sea. In waters not native to their origin, as they are from the Pacific and have predators that will have them for a snack. Invasive to the Caribbean Sea they have rapidly reached the Gulf of Mexico and far south, spreading to parts of South America. The lionfish has become a persistent pest that’s more trouble than what it appears to be, attractive yet deceptive with a striking pattern of white and red stripes. In the New York Times article, A Call to Action… and Even Rodeos, scientists say that, “from 2005 onward, lionfish have become the most numerous nonnative invasive species in the world.” The average pound fish is one of nature’s clever creations, a venomous foe with spines and an infinite appetite that reproduce quickly. Invasive species are notorious because they have no or almost nonexistent natural predators and they are adapt to their new home very well. The biological adaptations of this fish has caused both ecological and economical mayhem, serious measures have been taken up to control their population as well as to protect our coral reefs.
One of the Bays biggest resources is its oysters. Oysters are filter feeders which mean they feed on agley and clean the water. The oysters feed on agley and other pollutants in the bay turning them into food, then they condense the food down to nutrients and sometimes developed pearls. Filtering the water helps the oysters to grow, and also helps clean the Chesapeake Bay. One oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day, Oysters used to be able to filter the Bay in about a week. However, these creatures are now scarce in the bay. The Chesapeake Bays Oyster (crassostrea virginica) Population has declined severely because of over harvesting, agricultural runoff, and disease. Now the Chesapeake Bay is becoming polluted without the oysters and the water is not nearly as clean as it once was. The Chesapeake Bay was the first estuary in the nation to be targeted for restoration as an integrated watershed and ecosystem. (Chesapeake Bay Program n/d). This report will show the cause and effect of the Chesapeake Bay's Oyster decline on the Bay.
Zebra Mussels also known as Dreissena polymorpha are small freshwater mollusk that have been invading America’s rivers and lakes. They originated from the Balkans, Poland and Soviet Union. In 1988, they were found in a small body of water connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie, known as Lake St. Clair. Biologists believe that European port in the ballast water of a ship, dis...
In 1831, Asian carp were brought over as a delicacy. Asian carp are originally from Asia (Barbara A. Somervill 13). They were imported by catfish farmers in 1963 for federal research on controlling aquatic vegetation. In 1966, the first Asian carp had escaped into Arkansas waters. By 1970, grass carp we're being stocked in Arkansas waters to help with over vegetation. In 1972, big head carp were brought in the United States by a fish farmer in Arkansas to improve his water quality and fish production. In 1973, silver carp were introduced for phytoplankton control (Watershed Council 1). Over time, they were brought over for different reasons and made their way into many of the United States waters. The federal government had transported the invasive species to help the waters but, they did not realize the bad effects that the fish would have on the future environment. People need to find a way to stop them before it’s too late. Their rapid breeding has had a great toll on the environment and is still affecting it today. Over population can destroy the environment
Lionfish are not currently listed as threatened in their native range. However, the increase in pollution in coral reefs can negatively affect the lionfish's primary food sources (NOAA, 2011). If lionfish are unable to adapt to declines in their prey species, their numbers will decrease. Although between the increasing reef pollution and the Lionfish’s voracious appetite reef populations will more than likely be damaged beyond repair, they may even be close to elimination by the time the Lionfish population actually declines (Albins, 2013).
The Chesapeake Bay plays host to an astonishing amount of plant and animal life, providing much of our fish intake for species that aren’t being overfished. For the species that are being overdrawn, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is working to restore the populations, and it’s going well thus far. Another theme that is endangering the marine life populations as well as the health of the human population is the massive amount of polluti...
The algal growths in the lake feed on phosphorus mostly caused by fertilizer runoff from farms and local residences. Microcystin, a toxin that causes liver problems, is produced by the growths have caused major health concerns for wildlife and people using the lake. It is our moral obligation to clean up this mess or it will continue to harm the wildlife and environment in and the lake, as we are the one’s solely responsible for it. Organizations such as the Ohio EPA and Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow, have taken a notice to the pollution of Buckeye Lake and are formulating plans to return the lake to its former glory. Our plan is to provide a short term solution for the lake via the process of dredging, while a much larger and permanent solution is put in
From a crab to a barnacle, crustaceans are a diverse group of animals that inhabit much of the world. This lesson will explore what it means to be a crustacean and will also provide some example organisms.
Hundreds of people, who get in the ocean every year, are almost none that encounter sharks. Even if you're lucky enough to see a shark big enough to bite you, you're much likely to die from a heart attack than getting bit by one. Shark attacks are mistakes and the idea of a shark off every beach waiting for people to come in the water is completely untrue. I will inform you on the background knowledge of sharks and the reasons why humans should not be afraid only aware.
"Ocean Pollution." MarineBio Conservation Society ~ Marine Biology, Ocean Life Conservation, Sea Creatures, Biodiversity, Research... Web. 19 May 2014.
“Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction”. CITATION
...try brings; many fishermen will make it their priority to use the best equipment possible. By limiting what equipment can be used, how many sharks can be caught per year, and what times during the year they can be caught, hopefully shark population numbers will begin to increase. Most sharks’ fins only account for 5% of their actual body, and being that shark fishermen only want that small percentage, the other 95% of the body is thrown back into the ocean. This horrifying statistic really epitomizes this disgusting industry. Obviously a shark without its fins in the ocean will be left stranded away from its family, and death will definitely be inevitable. Overall, shark finning is an extremely devastating practice and there are so many possible solutions to put an end to it, but it’s hard to say if it will ever be completely outlawed, and enforced thoroughly.
The problem I have chosen is the problem of endangered species. An endangered species is a group of organisms that have a risk of becoming extinct. More than 90% of all species that have ever lived on earth has become extinct. Many reasons for this are habitat loss, predators, too few organisms for sustainable reproduction. Habitat loss is the most widespread cause of species endangerment and extinction. Usually, this is happening because of human activity including deforestation and pollution. Pollution and climate change affect the ecosystem, resulting in rise of sea levels, melting of glaciers/ice caps, and pollution can cause death to many seabirds and and marine creatures living on the coast and in the ocean. Rising sea levels can