Lake Superior State University’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education will host a virtual symposium to inform the public about invasive species research and issues affecting Great Lakes ecosystems and economies.
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Adult zebra mussels are large enough to be seen in containers with moss balls. Image: U.S. Geological Survey
By Taylor Haelterman
The new hitchhikers in the Great Lakes region aren’t stopping drivers with a thumbs up. They’re riding moss balls across the ocean.
Midwesterners with moss balls in their aquariums should be on the lookout for invasive zebra mussels, experts from Michigan and Wisconsin warn.
The invasive mussels feed on nutrients and microscopic organisms. That harms native species by altering the food web and changing the water chemistry, said Paige Filice, the coordinator of Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes. The program works to prevent the spread of invasive species in Michigan waters by educating retailers and the public.