Waste from zebra mussels is deposited on the In addition, large quantities of nutrient-rich The algae are now fueling the increased aquatic The excess nutrients that were once taken up by The removal of algae by these mussels means With zebra and quagga mussels increasing theĬlarity of the lake, Lake Simcoe has changedįrom a nutrient-rich lake (primarily dominated The clear water is primarily due to the zebra and While LSRCA has had success in reducing theĪmount of phosphorus entering Lake Simcoe, Phosphorus and nitrogen entering the lake. Typically, a change from murky water (usuallyĭue to high algae growth) to clear water isĬaused by a decrease in nutrients, such as Is a small-scale example of how zebra and quagga mussels have changed To be murky have been filtered, leaving it clear. The pictures show a set of four-litre jars filled with murky, waterīeing added one of the jars (far right), the particles that cause the water Nutrient flows, food webs, and habitats of more The lake, ecological changes have occurred in With sunlight now penetrating deeper into Prevented sunlight from reaching deep into the Particles reduced water clarity in the lake, which Noted the lake water had a “cloudy, greenish”Ĭolour - murky conditions caused by largeĪmounts of algae in the water, common to lakes Quagga mussels can filter a volume equivalentīefore their arrival, residents and lake users Them very efficient at removing these important Have an exceptionally high filtering rate, making Like native mussels, they eat algae and nutrientrich bits of sediment. Since 1995, zebra and quagga mussels haveĬaused colossal environmental changes in Lake Surviving on food particles that drift off the Mussels are found as deep as 31 metres likely In Kempenfelt Bay, living zebra and quagga Limiting population expansion in these areas. Mud and silt, which clogs their filtering ability, Their settlement is restricted byĪ change in the lake bed composition to soft Sites across Lake Simcoe to determine theĭistribution of the mussels throughout the lake They are the species most often encountered by In shallower depths than the quagga mussels, Quagga mussel can produce up to one millionįound on rocks, boulders, and sandy/shell lakeīottoms. Reproducing about six months after the larvaeīecome established. Quagga mussels are usually found inīoth species live three to five years and start The flat side and have dark concentric rings on Quagga mussels, on the other hand, do not have Pattern, but can vary from a solid dark to a paleĪppearance. Have a flat side which gives them a distinct While these species look similar, zebra mussels By 1995, zebra mussels had established themselves in Lake Simcoe, followed by quagga mussels in 2004. Native to the Caspian-Black Sea region of Eurasia, they arrived in the Great Lakes in 1988, carried in the ballast water of container ships. Three common species found in Lake Simcoe include the round goby (left), common carp (middle) and eurasian watermilfoild (right).Ī couple of the most well-known "invaders" to Lake Simcoe are zebra mussels and quagga mussels. Unintentionally, when carried by contaminatedīoats and trailers, on fishing gear, or the use of Invasions can happen intentionally throughĪnimals into rivers, lakes and streams, and Then, 15 foreign species have colonized the lake, Simcoe was the common carp, which escapedįrom a Newmarket fish pond in 1896. The first foreign species introduced in Lake In the past 200 years close to 150 species ofįoreign plants and animals have established
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