Wilderness News Online

A colony of non-native mussels has been found in Isle Royale National Park’s Washington Harbor, park officials revealed yesterday.

Divers found the colony of either zebra mussels (pictured) or their relatives, quagga mussels on the west side of the 45-mile-long island park in Lake Superior. A single non-native mussel was found on the east side of the island as well, THIS Associated Press story picked up by the Minneapolis StarTribune reported.

Zebra mussels have been present in the Great Lakes since the 1980s and, despite the cold water temperatures that have slowed the spread of the pest in Lake Superior, it does inhabit a handful of Lake Superior harbors, including Duluth. The discovery of the mussel near Isle Royale raises concern for Isle Royale’s large native mussel community.

The U.S. Geological Survery offers THIS informative web page about zebra mussels.

Photo courtesy of the USGS.