Zebra Mussel: Present Threat, Future Danger? A Report From The Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant Network

In July 1988, the zebra mussel ("Dreissena polymorpha") a creature new to North American waters was sighted in Lake St. Clair, near Detroit, Michigan. A native of the Black Sea, the mussel apparently hitched a ride to the U.S. in the ballast water of Eurasian tankers. Soon after it arrived, the zebra mussel began wreaking havoc, for the tiny mollusk can attach itself firmly to vitually any solid object in fresh or slightly brackish water, with often disastrous results. In the Great Lakes region, the zebra mussel has clogged the intake pipes of municipal water plants and power companies and even the water systems of golf courses. It has glued itself to the shells of other freshwater mollusks, including several species of endangered clams, effectively smothering them. This report highlights the threat the zebra mussel poses to the Mid-Atlantic region New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina and the Mid- Atlantic Sea Grant Network's efforts to prepare the region for a possible zebra mussel 'invasion'.

1988年7月，斑马贻贝（Dreissena polymorpha）——一种首次进入北美水域的外来物种——在密歇根州底特律附近的圣克莱尔湖被观测到。该物种原产于黑海海域，显然是通过欧亚油轮的压舱水传入美国境内。抵达后不久，斑马贻贝便开始大肆破坏：这种小型软体动物能够牢牢附着在淡水或微咸水中几乎所有固体物体表面，往往引发灾难性后果。在五大湖地区，斑马贻贝已堵塞市政水厂、电力公司的取水管道，甚至高尔夫球场的供水系统；它还会附着在其他淡水软体动物的外壳之上，包括数种濒危蛤蜊物种，最终将其闷杀。本报告着重阐述了斑马贻贝对中大西洋地区（涵盖新泽西州、特拉华州、马里兰州、弗吉尼亚州与北卡罗来纳州）构成的威胁，以及中大西洋海洋资助网络（Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant Network）为应对可能出现的斑马贻贝“入侵”所开展的各项筹备工作。