The Iowa Great Lakes community has been concerned about the spread of zebra mussels ever since the first signs of zebra mussels were found two years ago. Although the numbers of zebra mussels have not been huge so far, we could be on the verge of witnessing a major explosion in their population and the problems they cause.
Many of us have wondered why someone hasn’t come up with an environmentally benign biological agent that would kill zebra mussels, but have minimal impact on fish and other animals and be safe to humans. It appears just such a product has been developed using the trade name Zequanox.
The patent inventor of Zequanox, Dr. Daniel Molloy, will be in the Iowa Great Lakes this week to make observations on the zebra mussels we have so far and to discuss the significant challenge of controlling the spread of these mussels once they have become established in a lake system, such as in the Iowa Great Lakes. In particular, he will outline the potential of using Zequanox and other control options. Dr. Molloy is a Research Scientist at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Albany in New York State and has conducted research on the biology, ecology, and control of zebra mussels for over 2 decades.
A meeting of the lake protective associations, Department of Natural Resources, and Dr. Molloy will take place at 2 PM on Friday, September 12th at the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory – Waitt Building Classroom. The public is invited. Anyone with an interest in learning about the impacts of zebra mussels and our options for controlling them should attend.
News Contact: Phil Petersen, Executive Director, Iowa Great Lakes Association cell 712/ 320-6028
or Lisa Roti cell 712/ 320-8844
Molloy information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/science/science-takes-on-a-silent-invader.html?_r=0