Twenty-six years (1990–2015) of monitoring annual recruitment of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Rideau River, a small river system in Eastern Ontario, Canada

A 26-year study (1990–2015) of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) recruitment in the Rideau River, Eastern Ontario, revealed a persistent upstream-downstream pattern, with highest densities in downstream reaches, peaking at levels comparable to those seen during the peak invasion in the Laurentian Great Lakes (200,000–500,000+ mussels/m²). The study also identified a 'lake effect' at Long Reach, where larval development conditions were optimal. Initially low recruitment rates in upstream areas increased over time due to drift of veligers from the Rideau Lakes and headwaters. This long-term monitoring provides unprecedented insight into the invasion dynamics of zebra mussels in a small river system.

Martel, A. L., & Madill, J. B. (2018). Twenty-six years (1990–2015) of monitoring annual recruitment of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Rideau River, a small river system in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 96(10), 1071–1079. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2017-0360