It all started in Seattle. A worker at a pet store took a closer look at the moss balls being sold there and found invasive zebra mussels. When the Idaho Department of Agriculture’s Nic Zurfluh found out, his Invasive Species Program went to work testing moss balls all over the state.
“Our response was immediate.”
The velvety moss balls grow as big as five inches while the tiny zebra mussels can be as small as a grain of rice.
Credit Idaho State Department of Agriculture
The Marimo moss balls aren’t moss at all, but a rare round decorative algae popular with aquarium enthusiasts. But where were they coming from?