Filtration of Hudson River Water by the Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have had an enormous impact on aquatic environments. However, little is known concerning their interactions with microbial communities. In these studies, the ability of zebra mussels to derive nutrition from bacterioplankton and their effect on microbial community diversity were investigated in samples from the Hudson River, New York, and in laboratory studies. Clear physiological responses to starvation were observed, including decreases in respiration rates, lipid content, and total weight, that were reversed after feeding zebra mussels a diet of bacteria. Clearance rates of bacteria were correlated with bacteria size (r2= 0.995), with the lowest clearance rates associated with small indigenous river bacteria (size = 0.03 ± 0.04 µm3, clearance rate = 0.08 ± 0.02 mL·mussel-1·min-1). Comparison of the diversity of microbial communities in zebra mussel tissue extract, detritus, and pseudofecal material associated with zebra mussel colonies, surrounding water, and sediment samples revealed distinct microbial assemblages associated with these environments. The overall ecological effect and importance of bacteria - zebra mussel interactions remains unclear, but these studies indicate that these interactions occur and should be included in our efforts to better understand the impact of zebra mussels on aquatic systems.

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Effects of an invasive bivalve (Dreissena polymorpha) on fish in the Hudson River estuary

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f04-043 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 61 (6) ◽

pp. 924-941 ◽

Cited By ~ 99

Author(s):

David L Strayer ◽

Kathryn A Hattala ◽

Andrew W Kahnle

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Zebra Mussel ◽

Dreissena Polymorpha ◽

River Estuary ◽

Open Water ◽

Hudson River ◽

Alosa Sapidissima ◽

Median Increase ◽

Littoral Species ◽

Water Species

Despite predictions that the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion of North America would damage fisheries, analyses of actual effects on fish have been few and equivocal. We analyze 26 years of data on fish populations in the Hudson River to quantify changes associated with the zebra mussel invasion. Based on our measurements of changes in the lower food web, we predicted that populations of open-water fish species (e.g., Alosa spp.) would suffer and populations of littoral fish species (e.g., Centrarchidae) would prosper from the zebra mussel invasion. We found that the median decrease in abundance of open-water species was 28%, whereas the median increase in abundance of littoral species was 97%. Populations of open-water species shifted downriver away from the zebra mussel population, whereas those of littoral species shifted upriver. Median apparent growth rates fell by 17% among open-water species and rose by 12% in the single littoral species studied. Many of the observed changes were large and involved species of commercial or recreational importance (e.g., American shad (Alosa sapidissima), black basses (Micropterus spp.)). The influence of zebra mussels on fish should vary widely across ecosystems as a function of system morphology, factors that limit primary production, and diets of the fish species.

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Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) affects the feeding ecology of early stage striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Hudson River estuary

Environmental Biology of Fishes ◽

10.1007/s10641-016-0555-0 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 100 (4) ◽

pp. 395-406 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Michael G. Smircich ◽

David L. Strayer ◽

Eric T. Schultz

Keyword(s):

Striped Bass ◽

Feeding Ecology ◽

Zebra Mussel ◽

Dreissena Polymorpha ◽

Early Stage ◽

River Estuary ◽

Morone Saxatilis ◽

Hudson River ◽

Hudson River Estuary

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Effects of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion on the macrobenthos of the freshwater tidal Hudson River

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-76-3-419 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 419-425 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

David L. Strayer ◽

Lane C. Smith ◽

Dean C. Hunter

Keyword(s):

Zebra Mussel ◽

Dreissena Polymorpha ◽

Hudson River

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Bioassays Using the Midge Chironomus riparius and the Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha for Evaluation of River Water Quality

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ◽

10.1007/s002449900330 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 357-363 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

S. C. Stuijfzand ◽

A. Drenth ◽

M. Helms ◽

M. H. S. Kraak

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

River Water ◽

Zebra Mussel ◽

Dreissena Polymorpha ◽

Chironomus Riparius ◽

River Water Quality

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Effects of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion on the macrobenthos of the freshwater tidal Hudson River

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z97-212 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 419-425 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

David L Strayer ◽

Lane C Smith ◽

Dean C Hunter

Keyword(s):

Shallow Water ◽

Deep Water ◽

Zebra Mussel ◽

Dreissena Polymorpha ◽

Hudson River ◽

Zebra Mussels ◽

Simple Change ◽

Local Densities ◽

Animal Communities ◽

Hard Substrata

To assess the effect of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion on benthic animal communities, we monitored the macrozoobenthos at eight sites in the freshwater tidal Hudson River in 1990-1995. Zebra mussels were absent or scarce in the Hudson River before September 1992, but abundant (mean 17 000/m2) on hard substrata in 1993-1995 and responsible for large declines in phytoplankton biomass. All of our monitoring stations had soft sediments, and so had low local densities of zebra mussels (mean 78/m2). Nevertheless, we observed marked changes in the macrozoobenthos at these stations. Sphaeriid clams declined by 67% between 1990-1992 and 1993-1995, but no other group of macrobenthos showed a simple change in density between 1990-1992 and 1993-1995 across all eight monitoring sites. Instead, most taxa showed a strong interaction between zebra mussel impacts and water depth. At deep-water sites, macrozoobenthic density declined by 33% between 1990-1992 and 1993-1995, while at shallow-water sites, density rose by 25%. We suggest that these changes were probably caused by reduced sedimentation of edible particles at deep-water sites combined with increased biomass of macrophytes and attached algae at shallow-water sites.

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