What is credited for the arrival of Zebra Mussels in the Great Lakes?
Answer
Release of ballast water from ocean-going ships
The primary mechanism responsible for introducing zebra mussels into the North American Great Lakes system in the mid-1980s was the discharge of ballast water carried by large ocean-going vessels. Ships take on ballast water in ports worldwide for stability; if those ports were near the mussels' native habitat or areas they had already invaded, the water, carrying larvae or small adults, would be released into the Great Lakes, establishing the initial colony, likely first documented in Lake St. Clair.
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