Photo: Kilian Fichou/AFP (Getty Images)
Balls of moss commonly found in aquariums are threatening to push the zebra mussel invasion further across the U.S., wildlife officials are warning. Contaminated moss balls have been found in pet stores in 21 states in recent weeks, and both officials and the pet supply industry are scrambling to contain the problem before it’s too late.
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Judging by their name alone, the fingernail-sized zebra mussel might not seem like the most fearsome creature to be worried about. What makes them so dangerous, though, is their ability to adapt. Once introduced to a new lake or other body of freshwater, they can quickly crowd out and devastate local populations of other mussel species. Their rapid growth isn’t great for us either, since they can clog up the intake pipes in our water treatment and power plants, while also damaging boats and fishing equipment. That puts pressure on already-strained infrastructure dealing with more deluges and algae outbreaks driven by the climate crisis and human land use choices.