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Posted: Thursday, February 25, 2016GLC Seminar: 'Dreissenid Mussel Population Trajectories and Associated Patterns in Mussel Growth and Condition' - March 3
Please join the Great Lakes Center for the seminar "Dreissenid Mussel Population Trajectories and Associated Patterns in Mussel Growth and Condition," presented by Ashley Baldridge of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, on Thursday, March 3, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Technology Building 160. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.
Seminar Abstract
The introduction of invasive zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis, respectively) has profoundly affected the Great Lakes basin and other areas across North America. The NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory has annual survey data in southern Lake Michigan that details the population dynamics of both zebra and quagga mussels from the very beginning of their initial, rapid expansions. I will present updated survey data, which reveals depth-specific population trajectories. Examining length-weight relationships for mussels from different depth zones and lake regions provides some insights into the observed population patterns. I will also present some preliminary findings from an ongoing field experiment designed to produce more realistic long-term estimates of quagga mussel growth at greater depths. Comparing trends observed in Lake Michigan with other Great Lakes provides additional insights into dreissenid mussel population dynamics.
