How it Affects People: -Zebra Mussel's have the ability to filter feed large amounts of water, and by doing this, they not only clear up polluted water but they remove large percentages of primary productivity which may reduce the energy available to pelagic food webs. -When the zebra mussel feeds and cleans the water, it deposits these contaminants by way of waste. -Another effect is that the mussel clusters block intake pipes, mainly of factories and it costs millions of dollars to remove these clusters.
Affects on local fisheries and aquaculture: -Many small fish species are deprived of their means of nutrition because of the zebra mussel's ability to filter vast amounts of phytoplankton from the water -This is having a domino effect on the Great Lakes fisheries. -As the population of smaller fish is reduced, the number of larger predator fish is reduced in kind. -This in turn makes the Great Lakes fisheries susceptible to collapse or disaster should some disease infiltrate the system. -The Great Lakes fisheries are a large source of food and income for people living in the area.
Ecological Impact: -Zebra mussels affect natural ecosystems both directly and indirectly. The greatest direct impact relates to the mussel’s feeding behavior. -Zebra mussels are filter feeders and process up to 1 gallon of water per day per mussel. During this process, every particle suspended in the water is removed and either eaten by the mussels or wrapped in mucus and spit out. This feeding process, rapidly clears the water of lakes, even the largest of lakes are cleaned as well. -As the lakes clear, the brighter light levels cause aquatic plants to increase in number and size. This increased plant growth can be very beneficial to some fish. However, the plants do cause problems for recreational boaters and swimming beaches, and can increase taste and odor problems in drinking water supplies, and can block water-intake pipes during storm events.