The Bootsma lab’s work testing methods of fighting invasive mussels has gained continuous attention. WISN12 visited the lab to gain further insight.
Scientists are trying new strategies to manage invasive mussels in Lake Michigan after decades of ecological disruption caused by the fast-spreading species.
“You could walk from here to Michigan across the lake bottom of Lake Michigan, and you’d be walking on mussels all the way,” said Harvey Bootsma, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences.
Zebra and quagga mussels, which arrived in the Great Lakes through ballast water from overseas ships, now cover much of the lakebed. Researchers say the mussels are damaging the ecosystem by filtering out phytoplankton, a critical food source for young fish.