Environment & Climate
The invasive quagga mussel has now been detected for the first time in two Salzburg lakes – Obertrumer See and Wolfgangsee. This was shown by the evaluation of water samples that were taken on behalf of the state water protection agency.
13.10.2023 11.09
Online since today, 11:09 a.m. (Update: 4:28 p.m.)
The quagga mussel has now been detected for the first time in two of Salzburg’s seven large lakes. This was shown by DNA tests that can detect genetic remains of mussels in lake water. These tests were successful at Lake Obertrumer and Lake Wolfgang – even if the amount of mussel DNA discovered is still small, according to the state water protection agency.
Whether quagga mussels are displacing other species is being examined
In Lake Wolfgang it is also noteworthy that the mussel was found in the lake basin near St. Gilgen (Flachgau). In the Upper Austrian part of the lake near St. Wolfgang, however, no quagga DNA residues have yet been found in the water.
Peter Rey, Hydra Institute Konstanz
Water conservation now wants to take a closer look at what the spread of the mussel species means for the lakes. There is a risk that it will displace native animal species in the lake. The quagga mussel sticks to boat hulls or buoys and is also very sharp-edged, which, for example, caused numerous cuts to bathers in Lake Traunsee in summer.
Sister species zebra mussels have been in the lakes since the 1970s
A sister species of the quagga mussel, the zebra mussel, has been identified in the Salzburg lakes since the 1970s. Both types of mussels come from the Black Sea region and were introduced via boats. In order to prevent further spread, the state of Salzburg appealed for boats, but also water sports equipment such as stand-up paddleboards, to be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and dried in the sun.
2023-10-13 15:40:32
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