Zebra and quagga mussels are a highly invasive freshwater mussels that made their way into Canada in the 1980’s aboard cargo ships. Currently, they can be found in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba. They have yet to be discovered in Saskatchewan. However, the risk is high. Zebra and quagga mussels are problematic because they remove plankton from the water which is an important food source for our native species, and they can cause toxic algae blooms. These invasive mussels have byssal threads which act like cement and allow zebra and quagga mussels to form dense colonies that can take over fish spawning areas, beaches, and clog infrastructure.
In 2023, West Lake, East Lake, and Wascana Creek were sampled for zebra mussels using environmental DNA (eDNA). eDNA is genetic material that is released into an animal’s habitat. Scientists can take samples of water and soil and identify different species that live there (or release their DNA there). Currently, zebra mussels have not been detected in Wascana Centre.
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) have the nasty habit of hitching themselves to watercrafts, trailers, and other recreational items. It isn’t always obvious or easy to remove them from your equipment. Therefore, it is important that you CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY your boat and disinfect your equipment/toys when moving between water bodies.