Pugle, I also respect your stand, and most of what you posted from national geographic is also 100% true and I support. The one part I kind of disagree on is, (As you might know Erie is the shallowest of all the Great Lakes, but does have a deep basin near the middle third of it. Dead zebra mussels collect and decay there and cause huge amounts of salmonella and botulism to occur which kills the fish. Not only that, as they break down during this decay, the bacteria use up huge amounts of oxygen and release other deadly gasses (this is known as the lake Erie Dead Zone).
This part is somewhat true, but yet somewhat not true. If you do some research this was already happening before the outbreak. Just not as bad. If you think about it, How would all of them make it to that one area to die and cause the gases to build up? They can't travel to a place to die, So in fact it's happening all over the lake and that area is just a more prominent area of study. For the rest you posted, all 100% true.
From 1989-1994 I worked with the U.S. Corp of engineers. I was a sub-contractor for them and we set up laboratories in many ket areas for researching effects such as these, Duluth Minnesota was the first lab I helped design, and set up for the research on zebra mussels. I also helped in San Francisco California on the Oakland bay for dredge sediment testing, Tenn, Tombigbee water way system in Georgia and Alabama, Miss River basin in Vicksburg Miss, and in Oregon and Washington on way to help the Salmon migrate through the levee systems.
I have done a lot of research on many species of animals and plants and their effects on the environment. After working at Waterways I moved to South Louisiana to work with a team in waterway plant control trying to help eliminate or eradicate non-native plants such as Hydrilla and Water Hyacinths. Both were introduced involuntarily similar to zebra mussels. Each having some good effects but also many bad.
It was while working with the U.S. Corp. of Engineers that I got started in keeping ponds. I'll have to say it was one of the most interesting jobs I ever held, and one I have always looked back on that I wish I pursued. From my learning and research it gave me a far more open mind about the release of non-native species of both animal and plant life. When I purchased my present land a few years ago, many things were considered and adapted to prevent the release of plants and exotic fish from getting into the natural system. I hope more people learn and understand just how bad the effects can be. I wasn't saying the zebra mussels was all good for the eco system, What I was saying was there were some good effects as well as bad. Some species we are NOT so lucky on. Florida is now one of the most screwed up eco systems in the U.S. Many reptiles, plants, fish, and bird species have been released and are growing in numbers, What the effects will be in 10-20-30 years is unknown.
So anyone reading this post, PLEASE, Take note and keep your plants and fish in your ponds or fish tanks, Don't release into the wild. It may seem cruel at the moment to have to put plants in a trash can, or a fish in a freezer bag, but that's far better than being kind and releasing them in the wild.
)
