New invasive species mussel threatens lakes

The Muskegon Chronicle informs us of another invasive mussel in the lakes:

An alien mussel first spotted in Lake Michigan a decade ago has colonized much of the lake bottom, creating problems that likely will surpass those caused by the dreaded zebra mussel.

Meet the quagga mussel, the tougher, more disruptive cousin of the zebra mussel. Imported to Lake Michigan in 1997 in the ballast water of ocean freighters, quaggas now blanket much of the lake bottom to depths of 330 feet, according to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The quagga is like a frost-proof zebra mussel on steroids -- it's a heartier species that, unlike the zebras, can survive in cold water and live on the entire lake bottom. Zebra mussels thrive in the shallow, warmer waters of Lake Michigan and other inland lakes.