June 11, 2001
Troy, N.Y. — The number of zebra mussels found in Lake
George has declined dramatically since last year, when
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers and volunteers
began manually pulling the troublesome mollusks from the
water.
The time-consuming, labor-intensive effort appears to be
paying off. In the spring of last year, shortly after the first
adult zebra mussels were discovered in the popular recreational
lake, divers collected more than 19,000 of them. Last fall’s
harvest netted 1,800. Since April of this year, however, divers
have pulled only 352 mussels.
“Of course, I can’t guarantee that all of the zebra mussels
are gone from Lake George. That would be premature. But I am
optimistic, based on the numbers, that we got most of them at
this site,” said Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer, professor of biology
at Rensselaer and director of its Darrin Fresh Water
Institute.
More good news is the size of the mussels pulled this year:
All are too large to have been born in 2000 or 2001. Last
year’s harvest seems to have culled the mussels before they
reproduced, and they have not been found elsewhere in the
lake.
Zebra mussel larvae were first found in Lake George in 1995,
but researchers believed that lake chemistry — probably low
calcium and pH levels — kept them from maturing. A culvert
carrying storm runoff with high calcium levels may account for
the proliferation of adult mussels at the site on the
southeastern shore.
The mussels are a European invader already well established in
Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. They can choke
drinking-water pumps, foul outboard motors, and deter tourists.
The mussels may have entered Lake George while attached to
boats, boat trailers, anchors, bait buckets, or on equipment
used in the construction of a nearby boardwalk.
The Darrin Fresh Water Institute is a member of the Zebra
Mussel Task Force that includes the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation, the Lake George Park Commission,
the Lake George Association, the Fund for Lake George, and
other agencies.
The task force has issued pamphlets and mussel identification
kits as part of its campaign to encourage boaters to clean
their boats and other equipment before putting them in the
water. In May, the State of New York appropriated $20,000 to
pay for the installation of two boat-washing stations at Lake
George.
“What we hope to do is educate the public about the problems
posed by zebra mussels. They’re more than a nuisance. By taking
a little extra time to inspect their boats and clean them,
people can play a major role in preventing the spread of zebra
mussels to the Queen of American Lakes,” Nierzwicki-Bauer
said.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is the
nation’s oldest technological university. The school offers
degrees in engineering, the sciences, information technology,
architecture, management, and the humanities and social
sciences. Institute programs serve undergraduates, graduate
students, and working professionals around the world.
Rensselaer faculty are known for pre-eminence in research
conducted in a wide range of research centers that are
characterized by strong industry partnerships. The Institute is
especially well known for its success in the transfer of
technology from the laboratory to the marketplace so that new
discoveries and inventions benefit human life, protect the
environment, and strengthen economic development.
Contact: Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer, director of the Darrin Fresh
Water Institute, at (518) 644-3541 or nierzs@rpi.edu
Contact: Patrick Kurp
Phone: (518) 276-6531
E-mail: N/A