Filtering impacts of larval and sessile zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in western Lake Erie

Abstract

We assessed the feeding biology of veliger larvae of the introduced zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas) in laboratory experiments using inert microspheres as food analogues. Mean clearance rate on 2.87-μm beads ranged between 247 and 420 μL veliger day. Clearance rate was unrelated to bead concentration up to 100 beads μL, but was positively correlated with veliger shell length. Clearance rates of Dreissena veligers are within the range of those reported for marine bivalve veligers of similar size and for herbivorous Great Lakes microzooplankton, but are orders of magnitude lower than those of settled, conspecific adults. The impact of settled zebra mussel grazing activities on phytoplankton stocks may be up to 1162 times greater than that exerted by veliger populations in western Lake Erie. Based on 1990 size-frequency distributions and associated literature-derived clearance rates, reef-associated Dreissena populations in western Lake Erie (mean depth ∼7 m) possess a tremendous potential to filter the water column (up to 132 m m day) and redirect energy from pelagic to benthic foodwebs. Preliminary analyses indicate that chlorophyll a concentration is strongly depleted (<1 μg L) above Dreissena beds in western Lake Erie.

Tube‐dwelling invertebrates: tiny ecosystem engineers have large effects in lake ecosystems

“…Clearance rates of pelagic Dreissena veligers are within the range of those reported for cladocerans (MacIsaac et al 1992). In Mu¨ggelsee, cladocerans and Dreissena larvae had similar abundances during summer, but their abundances were negatively correlated (Wilhelm and Adrian 2007).…”

Lake St. Clair Zooplankton: Evidence for Post-DreissenaChanges

“…in the benthos. Negative effects on zooplankton biomass caused by zebra mussel removal of phytoplankton may be detected by reduced chlorophyll concentration and have been reported by several authors (MacIsaac et al 1992, Holland 1993, Madenjian 1995, Nicholls et al 1999. These effects, operating through the food web, may be distinguished from direct consumption of smaller zooplankters by having broader effects resulting in biomass reductions among all or most of the size classes within the zooplankton community.…”

“…In fact, the capacity to remove rnicrozooplankton extended to settled D. polymorpha as small as 10 mm. Since veligers were removed by adult conspecifics, the authors suggested this could act as a negative feedback mechanism that could lead to density dependent regulation of the D. polyrnorpha population in Lake Erie (MacIsaac et al 1992). Lake St. Clair supports a moderate Dreissena spp.…”

Changes in the plankton community passing a Mytilus edulis mussel bed

“…This has been shown in marine habitats (e.g. Wright et al 1982, Carlson et al 1984, Nichols 1985, Loo & Rosenberg 1989, Asmus & Asmus 1991, M~h l e n b e r g 1995) and in freshwater (Cohen et al 1984, MacIsaac et al 1992, Lavrentyev et al 1995, Roditi et al 1996. In this study we adapted a benthic filter-feeder model from Riisgdrd et al (1998) to test if the theoretical maximum filtration by the mussels was in accordance with observed values.…”