BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Invasive Mussel Collaborative - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Invasive Mussel Collaborative
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20210101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Detroit
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20220313T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20221106T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20230312T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20231105T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20221020T130000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20221020T140000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20221006T200756Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221026T133159Z
UID:3390-1666270800-1666274400@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Montana Mussel Response: 5 Years Following Detection
DESCRIPTION: \nRecorded: October 20\, 2022\, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Eastern\n  \nTitle: Montana Mussel Response: 5 Years Following Detection \nDescription: Dreissenid mussel veligers were detected in Montana for the first time in 2017. The state declared a Natural Resource Emergency and took aggressive steps to address containment and expand watercraft inspection. Five years following the initial detection\, no further evidence of invasive mussels has been found. Prevention and early detection efforts continue\, relying heavily on local partners and local involvement to help protect the waters of Montana from invasive species. \nThomas Woolf has worked on aquatic invasive species issues for over twenty years. Previously he worked with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture developing and implementing Idaho’s AIS program. In 2017 he moved to Montana and started as the AIS Bureau Chief for Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks where he currently coordinates and manages the state’s aquatic invasive species program.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-montana-mussel-response-5-years-following-detection/
LOCATION:Online Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230119T140000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230119T153000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20221220T200104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230125T141204Z
UID:3425-1674136800-1674142200@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Lessons learned and alternative management
DESCRIPTION:A partial recording of the webinar is available now\n \nPresenters Angelique Dahlberg Ph.D. candidate with University of Minnesota\, and Matt Barbour Biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey present on lessons learned from control projects and alternative low-dose copper treatment. \nAngelique Dahlberg\nUniversity of Minnesota\nTitle: Lessons learned from open-water dreissenid mussel control projects in North America \nDescription: Dreissenid mussel control projects have been ongoing since about 2004\, yet the methods used and degree of reporting have varied greatly. We conducted a search for and meta-analysis of open-water dreissenid mussel control projects that have occurred in North America\, including from published and unpublished reports. In this presentation\, I will present information on 33 open-water dreissenid mussel control projects in 23 lakes across North America. In particular\, I will share elements of both successful and failed projects\, cover knowledge gaps\, and highlight suggestions that could contribute to future dreissenid management actions. \nMatt Barbour\nU.S. Geological Survey\nTitle: Low-dose copper treatment for dreissenid mussel control as an alternative to traditional management strategy \nDescription: Copper is a widely used product in aquatic systems largely to control algae and is the active ingredient in the molluscicide EarthTec QZ\, one of the few registered products for open water dreissenid mussel control. Many dreissenid mussel control actions have targeted concentrations near the US Environmental Protection Agency’s 1 mg Cu/L limitation with the goal of eradicating a dreissenid population. Treatments at elevated copper concentrations can be highly toxic to nontarget aquatic communities and produce limited success with eradication of invasive mussels. As an alternative to the traditional eradication strategy\, we performed two open water\, low-dose copper application of EarthTec QZ in 2019 and 2022. Our treatment concentrations\, 60-100 µg Cu/L\, were an order of magnitude lower than the maximum allowed. The goals of the treatments were twofold 1) to reduce zebra mussel veliger densities and juvenile settlement therefore reduce recruitment into the breeding population in subsequent years and 2) to minimize adverse impacts to nontarget communities. We monitored non-target communities\, water chemistry\, and zebra mussel settlement before\, during\, and up to three years after the applications. This presentation summarizes the treatments\, assesses them within the functional eradication framework\, identifies knowledge gaps for future investigations\, and discusses implications for resource managers in applying this strategy. \nPresentation summary:  \n\nThe 2019 low-dose copper treatment (~85 µg Cu2+/L) administered to a 66.3 ha bay on Lake Minnetonka (Hennepin County\, MN) reduced veliger density and settlement through the following year.\nThe non-target zooplankton community was affected the year of the treatment\, but abundance\, diversity\, and community structure resembled the pretreatment assessments by the following summer. The non-target benthic community did not show signs of treatment related impacts.\nAn additional low-dose copper treatment was administered to a 125.6 ha bay on Lake Minnetonka in 2022. Data for this treatment is being amassed for analysis and monitoring is planned through 2023.\nWe are still amassing data from the 2022 field season for the 2022 treatment and for the final year of the 2019 treatment monitoring.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-lessons-learned-and-alternative-management/
LOCATION:Online Webinar
CATEGORIES:Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230530T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230530T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20230504T124447Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230606T203727Z
UID:3446-1685440800-1685446200@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: How invasive mussels impact and are affected by North American ecosystems
DESCRIPTION:Presentations include \nMussel squeeze: dissolved oxygen and temperature can “squeeze” zebra mussels out of invaded reservoirs by Rich Miller and Crysta Gantz with Portland State University\, Portland\, OR \nSurvivorship and distribution of zebra mussels within a waterbody are thought to be influenced by temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions\, but detailed information to confirm the importance of these environmental controls is necessary to inform management efforts. We measured planktonic zebra mussel veliger density and adult survivorship in San Justo Reservoir in central California to determine distribution and timing of spawning in relation to temperature and dissolved oxygen throughout winter\, spring\, and summer. We found seasonal patterns in adult survivorship\, with high mortality late in the summer and higher than expected survivorship during the spring when dissolved oxygen concentrations were approximately 1 mg/L. Veliger abundance peaked several meters above the thermocline from June to August. Dissolved oxygen concentrations limited veliger distribution\, with few to no veligers collected in the anoxic hypolimnion. Veliger settlement out of the water column appears to be possible in San Justo Reservoir at any time of year. \nDreissena in the Great Lakes: what have we learned in 35 years of invasion by Alexander Karatayev with SUNY Buffalo State\, Buffalo\, NY \nThis presentation summarizes over 30 years of research on zebra and quagga mussels in the Laurentian Great Lakes and compared with data from European and North American inland lakes. Invasion dynamics\, growth\, and reproduction of dreissenids in the Great Lakes are governed by lake morphometry. The abundance of commercially important fishes declined as a result of the dramatic decrease in their main food deep water amphipods Diporeia\, which has been outcompeted by exotic mussels. However\, the introduction of round goby into the Great Lakes in the 1990s provided an important link between dreissenids and commercially and recreationally valuable fish species\, increasing their productivity.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-how-invasive-mussels-impact-and-are-affected-by-north-american-ecosystems/
LOCATION:Online Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20231213T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20231213T143000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20231107T135148Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231214T164253Z
UID:3534-1702472400-1702477800@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Unique pathways of invasive mussel spread
DESCRIPTION: \n\n\nPresentations include: \nMore than we bargained for: Zebra mussels transported amongst European native freshwater snails by James Dickey with Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries\, Berlin\, Germany \nThe international pet trade is a major driver of non-native species spread\, including species both sold in the trade\, and organisms incidentally transported alongside. Here\, we document the discovery of invasive zebra mussels\, Dreissena polymorpha\, in Germany\, transported alongside a commonly traded garden pond snail and European native\, Viviparus viviparus\, ordered from a German pet website. We highlight that the trade poses yet another way in which zebra mussels and other invasive species can expand their invaded range into novel ecosystems. We call for stricter biosecurity enforcement towards sellers\, and encourage raising awareness amongst customers to inhibit the further spread of invasive species through the pet trade. \nAssessing Dreissena spread in Lake Superior through traditional and eDNA surveys by Courtney Larson with the US EPA Office of Research and Development\, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division\, Duluth\, MN \nLake Superior is generally considered to be inhospitable to invasive Dreissena mussels\, yet there is a large colony in the Saint Louis River estuary and smaller colonies in the Apostle Islands. Through traditional and eDNA surveys in 2017\, 2019\, and 2022\, we found multiple sources of evidence of a propagule “conveyor belt” for Dreissena in Lake Superior and conclude veligers are functioning as a propagule\, using coastal currents to spread from the point of invasion\, thereby traversing coastal habitat previously reported as inhospitable to distant habitats suitable for colonization. These currents and environmental conditions can be variable\, and increasingly so with climate change; therefore\, early detection monitoring for Dreissena is important for continued conservation of Lake Superior biodiversity and habitat. \nChemical drivers of Dreissenid habitat: Moving beyond calcium and temperature by Daniel Sandborn with the University of Minnesota Duluth \nDreissenid mussels have proven to be very capable invaders of diverse freshwater ecosystems since their arrival in North America nearly 35 years ago\, yet their distribution remains limited in certain regions (e.g. Lake Superior). We apply two novel tools to the task of understanding Dreissenid dispersion:  \n1)Measurement of calcium carbonate saturation state as a habitat predictor combining chemical and physical measurements into a thermodynamically-rigorous description of Dreissenid shell solubility\, and  \n2)Computer models tracking veliger transport across a gradient of calcium carbonate saturation state. \nCombining these oceanographic tools and applying them to a large lake ecosystem yields insights into mussel invasion\, survival\, and the future of Dreisseina in North America.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-unique-pathways-of-invasive-mussel-spread/
LOCATION:Online Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240529T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240529T143000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20240501T180537Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240531T153759Z
UID:4187-1716987600-1716993000@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Invasive mussel treatment efficacy under different environmental conditions
DESCRIPTION:  \nPresentation #1: \nContext matters: Understanding the role of temperature in chemical control of quagga mussels in high conductivity waters by Michael Booth with the University of Cincinnati\, Department of Biological Sciences \nIn December 2013\, quagga mussels were found in Lake Piru\, a water storage reservoir in southern California\, leading to concerns regarding the spread of mussels downstream and potential impacts to endangered southern California Steelhead. Elevated water releases from the reservoir increased the flux of veligers downstream and led to mussel recruitment >15 km downstream of the reservoir. Periodic downstream colonization increases the likelihood for the infestation to impact agricultural and municipal water systems that receive water from the river and potentially impacts Steelhead habitat. Although there have been few successful efforts to eradicate mussels once detected due to a lack of cost-effective treatments\, there was strong pressure to investigate full eradication of mussels in the lake. Two potentially cost-effective molluscicidal agents\, potassium chloride (KCl\, also called muriate of potash) and copper (formulated as Earthtec QZ®)\, have successfully treated infested waters\, but have varying efficacy under different water quality and temperature conditions\, and to date have only been applied in moderate conductivity waters (i.e.\, < 400 µS/cm). To understand the efficacy of these chemicals in a high conductivity system like Lake Piru (≈ 700–1\,400 µS/cm) and under the range of water temperatures where a treatment might occur\, we evaluated the dose-response of quagga mussels to KCl and Earthtec QZ® across a range of temperatures (10\, 18\, 22 °C) to determine appropriate doses and treatment duration resulting in 100% mortality. Our data indicate that treatments in cool temperatures (i.e.\, 10 °C) may be challenging for eradication efforts in high conductivity waters. However\, both KCl (> 200 ppm) and copper (120 and 180 ppb) were consistently able to induce 100% mortality in quagga mussels in warmer temperatures (i.e.\, ≥ 18 °C) and thus have potential for field scale application in high conductivity waters. The results of this study indicate that field-scale application should strongly consider environmental conditions during the period of application when selecting dosages and treatment duration. \nPresentation #1 Recording and Q&A:\n \n  \nPresentation #2: \nUnraveling the nuances of dreissenid mussel control tool efficacy by Matthew Barbour and collaborators with the U.S. Geological Survey\, Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center  \nThere are a limited number of control tools available for resource managers to address dreissenid mussel populations. Further\, there is limited information on the effects of water chemistry and seasonality on the efficacy of available tools. This research aims to address these knowledge gaps to better inform resource managers decision-making processes and to facilitate efficacious control treatments. We examined the effects of water chemistry on carbon dioxide induced mortality in adult zebra mussels and identified key parameters correlated with shifts in efficacy. We also examined seasonal trends in adult zebra mussel susceptibility to copper to better identify temporal treatment opportunities for resource managers. Identifying the conditions under which dreissenid mussel control tools produce the desired target and nontarget effects could be important in developing a balanced ‘arsenal’ for resource managers to choose from given their management objectives. \nDownload Presentation #2 Slides Here!\n 
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-invasive-mussel-treatment-efficacy-under-different-environmental-conditions/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240724T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240724T140000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20240621T192608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240724T191845Z
UID:4272-1721826000-1721829600@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Quagga mussel food choice at the HAB buffet
DESCRIPTION:Presentation: Quagga mussel food choice at the HAB buffet by Anna Boegehold with the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research and Vincent Denef with the University of Michigan \nDescription: Dreissenid mussels (quagga and zebra mussels) are powerful ecosystem engineers in the Laurentian Great Lakes\, causing short and long term changes to phytoplankton such as algae and cyanobacteria. In western Lake Erie\, invasive mussels have been implicated in promoting harmful algal blooms (HABs) in part by selectively feeding on green algae and diatoms while rejecting cyanobacteria like Microcystis aeruginosa. Multiple genetically distinct strains of M. aeruginosa can be found in a single HAB event\, and the ecological significance of a bloom can be dependent on which strains are present. In order to gain insight into dreissenid feeding behavior during a HAB\, we presented mussels with a choice between a preferred green algae and 7 strains of M. aeruginosa collected and isolated from western Lake Erie. In our study\, quagga mussels consumed 100% of the green algae and did not eat the cyanobacteria\, however there was some variability in mussel feeding behavior dependent on the M. aeruginosa strain they were exposed to. These experiments can give us an idea of 1) are quagga mussels in Lake Erie eating any of the M. aeruginosa strains when a better food source (i.e. green algae) is available? 2) What factors contribute to this choice? 3) How do these trophic dynamics between primary producers and primary consumers in the lab translate to bloom succession in western Lake Erie and beyond?
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/quagga-mussel-food-choice-at-the-hab-buffet/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20241030T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20241030T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20240924T192757Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241030T183726Z
UID:4368-1730282400-1730286000@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: The duality of shell deposition: how zebra mussel shells introduce a novel substrate in urban and degrade habitat in rural streams
DESCRIPTION:The duality of shell deposition: how zebra mussel shells introduce a novel substrate in urban and degrade habitat in rural streams by Darrin Hunt with the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville\, Arkansas \nPresentation Description: Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have invaded surface waters throughout North America and Western Europe\, including urban and rural streams. Their proliferation has resulted in the deposition of sharp\, jagged shells in benthic environments\, which have physically altered the stream’s pre-invasion structure. This research details how zebra mussel shell deposits can obscure stream substrates\, causing changes for native benthos\, and explores how these impacts differ between urban and rural ecosystems. In-situ mesocosms composed of varying combinations of zebra mussel shells and natural river cobble were used to evaluate zebra mussel shells as a novel colonization substrate for macroinvertebrate communities in urban and rural reaches of three temperate streams in Southeastern Michigan. We found that macroinvertebrate communities in urban streams preferred high-density dreissenid shell substrates rather than those with fewer shells and cobble. However\, sensitive gilled organisms (Ephemeroptera\, Plecoptera\, and Trichoptera) favored natural cobble substrates in rural streams. Rural streams commonly feature naturally heterogeneous benthic habitats\, which can become homogenized by high-density shell deposits. Contrarily\, shells may provide increased habitat structure and benthic complexity in urban systems\, which may have been lost through channelization\, sedimentation\, and fragmentation. Thus\, macroinvertebrates may benefit from additional habitat introduced by D. polymorpha shell deposits as a novel substrate in urban streams. Despite a consensus that invasive species negatively impact ecosystems\, the legacy of dreissenid shell deposition in highly degraded urban systems yields unexpected positive outcomes.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-the-duality-of-shell-deposition-how-zebra-mussel-shells-introduce-a-novel-substrate-in-urban-and-degrade-habitat-in-rural-streams/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250220T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250220T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20250217T180845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250217T181806Z
UID:4482-1740052800-1740056400@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Mussel Rapid Response in the Western Basins
DESCRIPTION:Thu\, Feb 20\, 2025 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST \nThis webinar will be a presentation and walk-through of the Mussel Rapid Response in the Western Basins website. The presentation will be 30 minutes\, and there will be 30 minutes for Q and A and discussion. If additional time is needed for Q and A\, we’ll keep the webinar open for as long as participants would like. The webinar will be recorded.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-mussel-rapid-response-in-the-western-basins-webinar/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250325T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250325T143000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20250221T202632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250325T192518Z
UID:4485-1742907600-1742913000@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Assessing the risks of zebra mussel establishment along the western United States invasion front
DESCRIPTION:Presentations:\nTools to identify water bodies critical to the western spread of an invasive species by David Creamer\, Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife \nDamaging aquatic invasive species\, such as the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)\, pose an ongoing concern for potential introduction and establishment in the western United States. This study applied habitat suitability indices and network analysis to identify lakes critical to the continued westward spread and establishment of zebra mussels from a key invasion front in Texas. Creamer at al. created multiple networks consisting of lake nodes and connecting roadway edges. Via graph analysis\, lakes critical to mussel spread by acting as hubs\, stepping stones\, or cut points in each network were identified. Additionally\, this presentation will cover the development of a production constrained gravity model. This model is used to simulate the movement of boats within the study area as a proxy for introduction risk and is combined with habitat suitability indices to estimate the overall invasion risk to lakes in Texas and eastern New Mexico. \nDon’t move a mussel: The role of key environmental drivers and management scale in assessing spatial variation in dreissenid spread risk in the Missouri River basin by Michael Springborn and Joseph Raymond\, University of California Davis \nManagement efforts such as watercraft inspection and detection programs that attempt to intercept infected watercraft can help limit dreissenid mussel spread\, but optimizing the effectiveness of these programs under limited resources is complicated. There is limited work that has considered the heterogeneous impact of protection efforts across different regions and waterbodies. Knowledge about this heterogeneity can highlight regions that would benefit the most from protection as well as regions that would require less effort to protect\, e.g.\, areas with naturally unsuitable water quality for dreissenids. To this end\, the research team constructed a composite relative risk index (CRR) for watersheds within the Missouri River Basin\, a region in the United States on the front line of dreissenid spread. The CRR uses a model that mirrors an expected value model but uses relative indexing as a proxy for the model components. The CRR incorporates a wide array of data sets to account for the direct and indirect damages from a potential infestation along with the risk of an infestation occurring. The CRR index includes user-specified weights for certain parameters so that a user can adjust the relative importance of various factors to match their specific context. An accompanying web tool allows users to view the CRR results and adjust multiple parameters to see the resulting impacts on the CCR for watersheds in the Missouri River Basin.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-assessing-the-risks-of-zebra-mussel-establishment-along-the-western-united-states-invasion-front/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250701T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250701T143000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20250602T150511Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250701T191802Z
UID:4700-1751374800-1751380200@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar - Clash of the shells: Dreissenid mussel impacts on native molluscs
DESCRIPTION:Presentations: \nThe limited co-existence of zebra mussels and native mussels in the Richelieu River over the past 25 years by Kennedy Zwarych\, McGill University \nNorth American unionid mussel populations have experienced significant mortality due to competition and fouling by the Eurasian zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha. Habitats whose water chemistry is suboptimal for the zebra mussel could plausibly serve as refugia in which unionids and zebra mussels co-exist. The Richelieu River\, invaded by the zebra mussel in the mid-1990s\, has a mean calcium concentration (∼18 mg/L) and is suggested to be sub-optimal for supporting a dense population of zebra mussels capable of severely damaging unionids. Using a 25-year dataset of SCUBA surveys\, we tested how unionid diversity and abundance have changed along with zebra mussel fouling levels in the river over time. Despite predictions by some risk assessments\, unionid diversity and abundance in the Richelieu River have eroded to a similar extent and followed a similar timeline of population decline as has been observed in invaded calcium-rich habitats. This presentation will explore the results of this dataset and hypothesize explanations for the patterns observed. \nMultiple invasions decimate the most imperiled freshwater invertebrates in by Alexander Y Karatayev\, Buffalo State College \nInvaders can have devastating impacts on freshwater ecosystems\, but these impacts can subside over time as ecosystems “adapt” to the invasion of new species. We analyzed changes in species composition and density of molluscs in Oneida Lake (New York\, USA)\, one of the best studied North American lakes based on detailed surveys conducted in 1915-17\, 1967-68\, 1992-95\, 2012\, and 2022-23\, and on annual benthic surveys from 2009 through 2023. Eutrophication and habitat alteration after 1920 resulted in a 25% decline in species richness and a 95% decline in the density of native gastropods by 1967\, while species richness of unionids did not change. The arrival of zebra mussels in 1991 and quagga mussels in 2005 was associated with an increase in species richness and density of native gastropods and an extirpation of unionids by 1995. However\, an invasion by the round goby in 2013 led to a significant decline across all gastropod families\, disproportionately impacting soft-shelled and shallow-dwelling species\, while other species\, including invasive dreissenids\, partially recovered 3 to 7 years after the goby invasion. This mollusc recovery was depth-related and was limited to deeper areas. Altogether\, molluscan communities were sensitive to ecosystem change and invasives species\, with some invaders offsetting the impacts of eutrophication and habitat alterations. While individual stressors have taxon-specific and sometimes positive impacts\, eutrophication and species invasions have collectively decimated the native mollusc community over the past century.
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-clash-of-the-shells-dreissenid-mussel-impacts-on-native-molluscs/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20251201T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20251201T140000
DTSTAMP:20260403T155304
CREATED:20250915T173215Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T165416Z
UID:4823-1764590400-1764597600@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Golden Mussel Planning & Response
DESCRIPTION:IMC Webinar: Golden Mussel Planning & Response\n \nWebinar Summary: \nThis webinar highlights perspectives on the issue of invasive golden mussels (Limnoperna fortunei). A panel of six experts will discuss the global distribution\, biology\, ecology\, and impacts of golden mussel as well as the role of ballast water in their introduction to the United States. Four western U.S. states will also provide an update on their response and planning efforts as a result of the detection of golden mussels in California in October 2024.\n\n\n\n\n  \nPresentations include: \n\n\n\n\n\n1) The Golden Mussel Ecological Risk Screening Summary – Presenter: Kate Wyman-Grothem\, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region 3 \nThis presentation will briefly summarize what is known about the global distribution\, biology\, ecology\, and impacts of introduction of the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei). It will also share the results of an updated climate matching analysis to predict potential for golden mussel establishment within the contiguous United States\, with special emphasis on the Great Lakes region. \n____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n\n2) Golden Mussel updates from California – Presenter: Martha Volkoff\, California Department of Fish and Wildlife \nGolden mussel were detected in California on October 17\, 2024\, the first known occurrence of this species in North America. Over the past year state\, federal\, and local agencies\, academia\, and diverse partners have worked to prevent the further introduction of golden mussel to non-hydrologically connected waters\, protect the environment\, critical water conveyance\, flood protection\, and power generation infrastructure\, and the economy of the state. \n____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n\n3) Knowns\, unknowns\, and assumptions about the role of ballast water in the introduction of golden mussels to California  – Presenter: Chris Scianni\, California State Lands Commission’s Marine Invasive Species Program \nThis presentation will summarize the information we know\, the information we think we know\, the information we do not know\, and general assumptions about the detection and introduction of golden mussels in California. The presentation will also cover the likely role that commercial shipping\, and ballast water in particular\, likely played in the introduction\, and what the state of California is doing to minimize the likelihood of spread to neighboring states and the likelihood of future introductions of fresh or brackish water species into California’s fresh or brackish water ports.  \n____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n\n4) Lake Tahoe AIS Prevention – Presenter: Dennis Zabaglo\, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency\nThis presentation will provide an overview of Lake Tahoe’s AIS prevention program and response to the golden mussel discovery.  \n  \n  \n____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n\n5) Sleepless in Seattle: Staying Ahead of the Golden Mussel in the Evergreen State – Presenter: Justin Bush\, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife \nGolden mussels may glitter\, but their impacts are anything but shiny. In South America\, where they are well established\, this invasive species clog infrastructure\, alter ecosystems\, and drive-up costs—one 2018 report estimated more than $120 million in annual impacts to Brazil’s electricity sector alone. With the first North American detection in California\, Washington is wide awake—assessing risks\, watching key pathways like ballast water and overland conveyances\, and gearing up with early detection and response readiness. This talk will share how the Evergreen State is preparing before golden mussels can get a foothold\, why prevention beats cleanup every time\, and how collaboration across regions will help us all sleep a little easier.  \n____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n\n6) Updates from Montana – Presenter: Thomas Woolf\, Montana Fish\, Wildlife & Parks\, Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species \nThis presentation will include perspectives from Montana and the Western Regional Panel on the golden mussel invasion as well as current response efforts. \n\n 
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-golden-mussel-planning-response/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR