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Scientists say they’ve found bacteria that will fight invasive mussels, But germ can’t be used on wide scale, so its utility is limited, they warn

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 30, 2008 at 7:15 am

From the Chicago Tribune:

Researchers seeking to slow the spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels in American lakes and rivers have found a bacterium that appears to be fatal to the problematic species without affecting native mussels or freshwater fish.

The bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, offers some hope for controlling the troublesome bivalves that are wreaking ecological and economic havoc in North American waters from the Colorado River to Vermont, and especially in the Great Lakes.

But more testing remains to be done, and the bacteria could be used effectively only on a limited scale, said Daniel Molloy, the New York State Museum researcher who discovered the possible new use for P. fluorescens.

It would be impossible to use the bacteria to wipe out all the invasive mussels in a Great Lake because they would be quickly replenished, he said. “It’s too big,” Molloy said of the mussel invasion.

Read more from the Chicago Tribune by clicking here.

November 30, 2008 · Filed Under Invasive Species

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