Zebra Mussel and Fouling Problems in the Euphrates Basin

Authors: ALAEDDİN BOBAT, MEHMET OĞUZ HENGİRMEN, WALTER ZAPLETAL

Abstract: The Zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, is one of the most important fouling organisms in freshwater ecosystems. Infestations by Zebra mussels have caused chronic problems in both raw water(incoming water into facilities) intakes and man-made structures such as water treatment facilities, power plants and industrial facilities. In the mid-1980s, this pest, a species nonindigenous to North American freshwaters, was introduced into the Great Lakes of North America. This introduction probably occurred by means of the ballast water of a transoceanic ship, and concern has focused again on this nuisance and its impact. Recently, the Zebra mussel, a species native to Turkish freshwaters, has caused important technical and economic damage in Atatürk dam and hydropower plants built on the Euphrates River. Fouling by Zebra mussels will become an increasingly significant technical, economic and ecological problems in the Euphrates Basin in the near future. In this study, the general biology and potential impacts of the Zebra mussel are summarized and its impacts on engineered structures in the Euphrates Basin are emphasized.

Keywords: Zebra mussel, its biology, fouling problems by Zebra mussel in the Euphrates Basin, hydropower plants

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