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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240724T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240724T140000
DTSTAMP:20260410T075751
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:20260410T075751
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250220T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250220T130000
DTSTAMP:20260410T075751
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/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250325T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250325T143000
DTSTAMP:20260410T075751
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:20260410T075751
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:20260410T075751
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260406T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260406T170000
DTSTAMP:20260410T075751
CREATED:20260406T142321Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T170139Z
UID:5794-1775462400-1775494800@invasivemusselcollaborative.net
SUMMARY:Webinar: Controlling Dreissenids with Copper
DESCRIPTION:IMC Webinar: \nControlling Dreissenids with Copper\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWebinar Summary: \nTune in to hear about the latest research on copper applications to control invasive mussels in a variety of aquatic environments. Presentations will dive into challenges and opportunities learned through the treatment of zebra and quagga mussels in lake\, river\, and reservoir ecosystems. You will hear from experts at the U.S Geological Survey\, Colorado Parks and Wildlife\, and the University of Minnesota’s Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister Here! \nPresentations include: \n\n\n\n\n\n1) Quashing Quagga: Fate and Effects to the Benthic Community of a Copper Treatment to Eradicate Invasive Mussels in a Large Western River – Presenter: Austin Baldwin\, U.S. Geological Survey\nCopper-based chemical treatments are commonly used to eradicate invasive mussels in small ponds and lakes\, but their use in large rivers has been limited. In 2023\, in response to a detection of invasive quagga mussels\, a 10-kilometer reach of the Snake River (Idaho\, USA)\, was treated with an unprecedented 19\,300 kg of chelated copper molluscicide to a target concentration of 1\,000 µg/L for 10 days. We assessed the transport and fate of the copper\, its accumulation in sediments\, and its exposure and effects on the non-target benthic community downstream. Findings from this study can help watershed managers plan future invasive mussel responses while protecting culturally\, economically\, and ecologically important non-target species in large rivers. \n____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n\n \n2) Challenges of Eradication Efforts for Zebra Mussels in Highline Lake\, Colorado\, using EarthTec QZ – Presenters: Tawni Firestone & Robert Walters Colorado Parks and Wildlife\nFollowing the detection of an isolated population of zebra mussels in Highline Lake\, Colorado\, in 2022\, an eradication effort was initiated in spring 2023. The reservoir was lowered by approximately 9.1 meters and EarthTec® QZ\, a copper-based EPA-registered molluscicide\, was applied at 4 ppm (240 μg L-1 copper). Water samples were collected prior to\, during\, and following the treatment to monitor copper concentrations and water quality parameters. An average 148.95 ± 43.46 μg L-1 dissolved copper concentrations was observed across all treatments\, with variations influenced by depth and timing of application. Sufficient copper distribution was achieved throughout the reservoir\, as confirmed by water sample analysis and geostatistical modeling. However\, suboptimal water temperatures (below 7 °C for extended periods) were maintained during the treatment. The continued presence of veligers and adult mussels in late summer 2023 was revealed by post-treatment monitoring\, indicating an unsuccessful eradication attempt. A subsequent\, more intensive retreatment in fall 2023 was completed and involved higher EarthTec QZ concentrations (8 ppm; 480 μg L-1 copper) prior to complete draining of the reservoir. Average copper concentrations were 384.79 ± 38.62 μg L-1 and slightly higher temperatures than the first treatment were observed (8.87 ± 0.98 °C). The second treatment demonstrated more effectiveness\, as no living zebra mussel or veliger detections were observed in the reservoir in 2024. The reservoir was then drained to allow for complete freezing and desiccation of any remaining mus sels over the winter 2024. While no live zebra mussels were detected within the reservoir post-draining\, two veliger detections were recently confirmed following the refilling of Highline Lake in 2025\, with reinfestation likely occurring via the Colorado River during this process. The challenges of zebra mussel eradication\, particularly the importance of optimizing treatment timing with respect to water temperature\, copper bioavailability\, and site location are highlighted in our study. \n  \n____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n\n4) Managing the Unmanageable: Preparing for the First Whole-Lake Copper Treatment for Zebra Mussels in Minnesota – Presenter: Olivia Nyffeler\, The University of Minnesota’s Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center\nZebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have spread to nearly 380 lakes across Minnesota and once established\, are difficult to remove. Prevention remains the primary strategy due to its cost-effectiveness and ability to limit spread; however\, once a lake becomes infested\, effective management options are limited. Previous work has evaluated low-dose copper treatments at large spatial scales with promising results. Applications in bays of Lake Minnetonka (MN) have demonstrated reductions in zebra mussel settlement and veliger densities while minimizing impacts to native mussels and other non-target communities. Building on these findings\, Lake Riley\, a 296-acre mesotrophic lake in Eden Prairie/Chanhassen\, MN\, was selected for Minnesota’s first whole-lake low-dose copper treatment using EarthTec QZ. This project integrates whole-lake treatment with comprehensive ecosystem monitoring and coordination among state\, federal\, and local partners. This presentation will describe treatment implementation\, monitoring design\, and early insights\, and will discuss how results from this effort can inform the development of a real-world framework for managing established zebra mussel populations and restoring ecosystem function. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://invasivemusselcollaborative.net/event/webinar-controlling-dreissenids-with-copper/
CATEGORIES:Webinar
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