Amazing results in that study, jpsdad.
I would have guessed that it would be very difficult to have a thriving population of mussels in a pond with RES.
It appears that they may have stocked the mussels and the fish at approximately the same time, so they were all getting "established" simultaneously?
Unsurprising though, that actual studies are better than my guesses!
The very large total biomass of aquatic "flesh" was the most surprising result to me. The life cycle of all of the many, many plants and animals (including insects) certainly create a more complex web of interconnections than we can easily observe.
I wonder if the clearer water also allowed for more sunlight to reach the autotrophs that make up the base of the food chains in a pond?
Further, I believe all of the state biologists hate the invasion of zebra mussels in our large reservoirs. Now that is has been well established over a decade in many locations, I wonder what their fish population surveys are showing as the response? I suspect their professional journal publications may have some interesting articles.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/02/25 03:46 PM. Reason: well established
