Zebra mussels are problematic in the Great Lakes because they lack natural predators and competitors that would normally control their population in their native habitats in Europe and Asia. In the Great Lakes, their rapid reproduction leads to significant ecological and economic impacts, such as clogging water intake systems, outcompeting native species, and altering habitats. Additionally, their presence disrupts food webs and can lead to decreased biodiversity. These factors combined create a unique environment in the Great Lakes that allows zebra mussels to thrive unchecked.
they invade the habitat of other organisms living there and they start to overtake the lakes which decreases the biodiversity in the great lakes.
Zebra mussels compete for plankton with other filter feeders, but that is not really why they are considered to be a problem. They tend to grow in great abundance where there is a water current that brings them their food faster, and such currents occur at the intake pipes that are put into the Great Lakes to get water, and the pipes then get clogged. So it is more of a problem with human engineering, than a problem affecting the food chain. New Answer: they will compete with netive shelfish and clams and hurt their populations
Endangered Species
Limnology (the study of lakes and other freshwater systems)
i dont know. i know that this doesn't help!
Yes. They are a danger especially to the fish population since many fish species need sandy or muddy bottom soil to lay their eggs. The zebra mussel covering the lake bottom prevents nesting to these species of fish. The mussels have proliferated so much that they are actually clearing up the murkiness of the lakes.
because they would eat all of the wildlife
Freshwater mussels live in rivers, while saltwater mussels live in oceans. Even though it is mussels, it differs a lot. Freshwater mussel and saltwater mussels hunt different things, because they live in different places.
Mussels are aquatic animals that live in both freshwater and saltwater environments. They can be found in rivers, lakes, and oceans around the world, typically in shallow waters where they can attach themselves to rocks or other surfaces.
you just write about the Great lakes. Your supposed to have an introduction 3 paragraphs and a conclusion. For the introduction: tell who you are, where you live, and why you are qualified to write the editorial. Paragraph 2: give 2 examples for the serious problems of pollution in the Great Lakes. Paragraph 3: give 2 examples for how serious invasive species problem the Great lakes. Paragraph 4: give 2 examples for how serious the loss of habitat is in the Great Lakes. Conclusion: 5 things that need to be done to improve the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes
It is generally agreed upon by scientists that zebra mussels entered the Great Lakes from ballast water dumping by large ocean-going vessels from Europe. Ballast water is used to keep ships stable in the water.