Scientists at Isle Royale have been deploying artificial surfaces beneath the water and subsequently inspecting them for the presence of invasive mussels. Zebra mussels prefer to live on hard surfaces. In 2018, an infestation of over 3,000 zebra mussels was discovered living on a dock at Mott Island, a part of the Isle Royale archipelago. However, recent scientific findings from Isle Royale show that these invasive mollusks are hardier than previously thought. Lake Superior was long thought to be inhospitable for these invasive mussel species due to its cold temperatures and low concentrations of the calcium that mussels need for shell growth. Additionally, according to the Center for Invasive Species Research at the University of California, Riverside, it is estimated that the cost of management and economic damage of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes alone exceeds $500 million per year.

They can quickly reproduce and cover lakebeds, suffocating native mussels and changing food webs on which other aquatic species depend. These tiny invaders threaten the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. These bivalves, native to fresh waters in Eurasia, were initially transported to the Great Lakes via ships’ ballast water, and have spread to waters across the United States via boats and other recreational equipment. Isle Royale National Park (ISRO) needs your help to prevent the spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels in Lake Superior. Map of zebra mussel dive efforts at Isle Royale during 2020.

Control zebra mussels