What paradoxical effect can result from energy being deposited in concentrated mounds of pseudofeces near the shoreline?
Answer
Fueling algal blooms near the shoreline
While zebra mussels remove suspended particles from the open water, the energy they process is not lost; instead, it is rapidly transformed and concentrated into waste matter called pseudofeces. When these mussels form dense mats near the shoreline, this waste deposits significant amounts of nutrients directly onto the substrate in localized areas. Paradoxically, this massive, localized nutrient concentration bypasses the filtration process and becomes readily available for other primary producers, which can subsequently lead to excessive growth, or algal blooms, specifically near the impacted shorelines.
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