Open water dreissenid mussel control projects: lessons learned from a retrospective analysis

Abstract

Dreissenid mussels are one of the most problematic aquatic invasive species (AIS) in North America, causing significant ecological and economic impacts. To date, dreissenid mussel control efforts in open water have included physical, biological, and chemical methods. The feasibility of successful dreissenid mussel management or eradication in lakes is relatively undocumented in the freshwater management literature. This review presents information on 33 open water dreissenid mussel control projects in 23 North America lakes. We reviewed data from past dreissenid mussel control projects and identified patterns and knowledge gaps to help inform adaptive management strategies. The three key lessons learned include 1) pre- and post-treatment survey methods should be designed to meet management objectives, e.g., by sampling for all life stages and taking into account that no survey method is completely comprehensive; 2) defining the treatment area – particularly ensuring it is sufficiently large to capture all life stages present – is critical to meeting management objectives; and 3) control projects provide an opportunity to collect mortality, depth, water chemistry, eDNA, effects on non-target organisms, and other efficacy-related data that can inform safe and effective adaptive management.