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Zebra Mussels at the
Over time, even fish communities may be altered. Zooplankton, a common food for larval fish, will suffer as their food source is consumed by the zebra mussel. Fish that dine on benthic invertebrates will do well, especially if they can eat zebra mussels directly. Freshwater drum, catfish, sunfish and lake sturgeon are able to feed upon zebra mussels, though not heavily enough to significantly decrease the numbers. Increased water clarity (thanks to zebra mussel filtration) exposes more of the lake’s bottom to sunlight, resulting in more habitat for aquatic plants. The Lake of the Ozarks is mostly rocky on the bottom, but many of the coves have plenty of sediments capable of supporting plant life. As the quantity of vegetation increases, more nutrients will be taken out of the water column and be unavailable to algae. The increase in vegetation may be troubling to some lake users, as plants foul boat propellers and swimming areas. Additionally, zebra mussels attach quite readily to plants, so clearing the water can potentially increase the amount of surface area for zebra mussel attachment. More surface area means more zebra mussels and the cycle continues. Another side effect of zebra mussel infestation is altered stratification. As the water becomes clearer, sunlight penetrates deeper into the water column, heating more water. Eventually, the oxygenated upper layer of water (epilimnion) becomes thicker. Since the cooler, bottom layer of water (hypolimnion) is often devoid of life-supporting oxygen, the result is a greater volume of “habitable” water. If the zebra mussels thrive at the Lake of the Ozarks, the lake will change. Clearer water is often thought of as a good thing, but zebra mussels will displace our native mussels, alter habitat and food webs, and even change the stratification patterns in lakes. Ecologically speaking, they don’t belong here. Nevertheless, the zebra mussel is here now, and they’re probably here to stay.
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