What was the primary vector for the zebra mussel's jump across the Atlantic to North America?
Answer
Discharge of ballast water from transoceanic ships
The mechanism responsible for introducing the zebra mussel into the North American aquatic systems, particularly the Great Lakes basin, involved transoceanic shipping activities. Specifically, the process centered on the release of ballast water carried by large ships traveling between international ports. While other dispersal methods like recreational boating and the aquarium trade facilitated spread within continents after initial establishment, the ballast water discharge was cited as the dramatic, geographically specific vector enabling the initial jump across the Atlantic Ocean into the new continent.
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