The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife is seeking volunteers who live on or recreate on lakes in the northern part of the state to assist with a pilot project to monitor for the potential spread of invasive zebra mussels, which have recently been found in nearby Canadian waters.
Zebra mussels have been found within the Saint John River drainage in both Quebec and New Brunswick, with the nearest visual confirmations less than 30 miles away from the Maine/Canada border and even closer potential infestations in the Madawaska River.
This places the Saint John River at high risk for infestation and as a potential source for transport via watercraft into other Maine waterbodies. The bivalves have not yet been confirmed in any waterbodies in Maine, but represent a high threat level to the health of the state’s waters, fish, and wildlife.
Zebra mussel infestations result in irreversible negative impacts on native species and waterbody systems and are nearly impossible to eradicate once introduced. The animals filter and hold a substantial amount of important food and nutrients that native organisms require, negatively impacting all native fish and wildlife in the waterbody. In addition to significantly impacting our wildlife, and unlike our native mussels, zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces in the water, including watercraft, pipes (which can clog intake/outflow), rocks, docks, and even native mussels. Zebra mussel larvae are microscopic, making it imperative all outdoor enthusiasts use extreme caution to limit the spread.
Zebra mussel infestations can be easily monitored for with a tool called settling plates. The mussels attach to the plates once past their larval stage. Routine visual checks of these settling plates by volunteers will allow for quick detection of any new infestations.
Settling plates should be deployed in May, inspected every 2-3 weeks for any potential zebra mussel attachment, and removed from the lake in October.
