Zebra Mussels
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Stop The Zebra Mussel! What To Do Before Leaving An Infested Area What To Do While At The Slip Other Web Sites

What Are Zebra Mussels?      The zebra mussel is a black and white striped bi-valve mollusks which was introduced into North American waters through the discharge of international shipping ballast water. Since its discovery in Lake St. Clair in June 1988, the zebra mussel has spread throughout the Great Lakes and other North American waterways such as the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers.      The mussel can clog power plant, industrial and public drinking water intakes, foul boat hulls and engine cooling water systems and disrupt aquatic ecosystems. Billions of dollars of zebra mussel impacts are expected over the next 20 years.      Mussel larvae can be carried in boat bilge water, live wells, bait buckets and engine cooling water systems.      Juvenile and adult mussels can "hitchhike" attached to boat hulls, engine drive units and boat trailers.      Adult zebra mussels in moist, shaded areas can live several days out of water. Kept wet, but not submerged in water (for example in bilges, live wells, inside trailer frames), adult zebra mussels may survive out of water for more than a week.

Anything short of a full quarantine will not stop the spread of the zebra mussel. However, you can help slow the mussel's spread across North America and prevent your own equipment from being fouled by following these good boat keeping suggestions:

BEFORE LEAVING AN INFESTED AREA

Inspect	Drain	Wash
X	X	X	Trailer Frames
X	X	X	Boat Hulls
X	X		Outdrive Units
X	x	X	Trim Plates
X	x	X	Props & Prop Guards
X	x	x	Transducers
X	x	X	Anchor & Rope or Chain
x	X	X	All Bilge Water
X	X	X	Live Wells (and Their Pumping Systems
x	X	X	Bait Buckets
x	X	X	Raw Water Engine Cooling Systems
X	X	X	And Other Boat Parts & Accessories That Get Wet

Thoroughly Inspect

If you see any hitchhiking zebra mussels, scrape them into a can and dispose of them in a garbage dumpster.

Completely drain, flush, wash

• All water should be drained from the boat and its components.

• Wash everything using HOT (140 degree F or hotter) water.

• Pressurized steam cleaning units would also be effective and environmentally compatible.

• High pressure (250 psi or greater) hot water power washes should also be very effective.

• Chlorine bleach or other environmentally unsound solutions are not recommended.

Dry

Boats and trailers should dry in the sun for at least 2 to 4 days before being transported to uninfested waters.

Leave Bait Behind

Bait should not be transported to uninfested waters; give it to someone headed out on the water body you are leaving or put it in a garbage dumpster at the boat launch site.

WHILE AT THE SLIP

On boats that remain in the water at marinas, zebra mussels can attach to outdrives, cover or enter water intakes which results in clogging, engineer overheating and damage to cooling system parts (particularly impellers). Mussel encrustations on and around props and shafts can increase drive train wear,

Storage

• If possible, avoid leaving outboards or outdrives in the down position.

• Hulls and drive units should periodically be inspected and scraped free of mussels.

• Do not introduce chlorine into engine cooling systems

Coatings

Antifouling paints may effectively prevent attachment of zebra mussels on underwater boat components and accessories. Consult with your local marine dealer or manufacturer for applicability and local use or environmental restrictions.

Hull waxes appear to be only marginally effective at preventing zebra mussel attachment; however, those with high silicone content may reduce the amount of effort required to remove mussels.

OTHER LINKS

 Zebra Mussel and Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse

3102 Morgan III
SUNY Brockport
Brockport, NY 14420-2928
  http://freedom.cce.cornell.edu/seagrant/nansc/index.htm

716-395-2516 (NY Zebra Mussel Info Clearinghouse)

On The Web:

More Information on Zebra Mussels

Distribution Map of  Zebra Mussels

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Updated on July 24, 2003