There is a war going on in the Rideau River. It's the battle of the mussels. Not muscles like those seen in the WWF, but mussels... as in clams.
A new study published in the current Canadian Journal of Zoology,
shows that alien zebra mussels, are winning big time, over freshwater
native species.
Dr. Andre Martel, who spotted the first zebra mussel in Ottawa,
conducted a long-term study to assess the impact of the zebra mussel
invasion on the Rideau River.
He found that zebra mussels have not only played havoc with boaters and
recreationists but also with nature and its ecological balance.
His study showed that zebra mussels are killing entire species of
freshwater mussels. And freshwater mussels have become the most
endangered fauna in North America.
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