TRACKING THE NEW INVADER: QUAGGA MUSSELS OUTCOMPETING ZEBRA MUSSELS IN OTSEGO LAKE, NY, USA

Otsego Lake, a 16.37 km² freshwater glacial lake in New York, USA, has experienced serial invasions by the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) starting in 2007 and quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) reported in 2020. To capture population dynamics during the early stage of the quagga mussel establishment against the already established zebra mussel population, three undergraduate students deployed a series of mussel sampler plates at near shore sites in February-May and July-October 2021 (without temperature loggers) and January-July 2022 (with temperature loggers) at three depths down to z = 22 m. Over 8000 individuals of the two species were collected and the following data were recorded: length, species, and estimated age based on annual ring counts, with a small set of samples bisected to evaluate accuracy of the visual annual ring identification method. The results showed that the invasive mussels found at lower depths in Otsego Lake tend to be older for their size, suggesting slower growth. Analysis of temperature data will be presented.

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Alabaster Corsette, State University of New York at Oneonta (Alabastercorsette@gmail.com)

Authors:

Sierra Stickney, State University of New York at Oneonta  (sierrastickney@gmail.com)

Sarah Coney, State University of New York at Oneonta  (sconey@catskillcenter.org)

Rylie Smith, State University of New York at Oneonta  (rsmith@schoharieschools.org)

Kari Minissale, State University of New York at Oneonta  (MINIK965@oneonta.edu)

Erika Liguori, State University of New York at Oneonta  (ligue079@oneonta.edu)

Madelynn Ackley, State University of New York at Oneonta  (ACKLME661@oneonta.edu)

Sarah Frueh, State University of New York at Oneonta  (fruesg504@oneonta.edu)

Brian Hefferon, State University of New York at Oneonta  (HefferBT@cobleskill.edu)

Paul Lord, State University of New York at Oneonta  (Paul.Lord@oneonta.edu)

Kiyoko Yokota, State University of New York at Oneonta  (kiyoko.yokota@oneonta.edu)