Nice piece on the effect of invasive mussels on #GreatLakes food webs and fish, but mussels have not "helped clean the lake system of phosphates..."; they've just re-distributed them to the benthos, fueling benthic algae.
@ecoinvasions.bsky.socialFurther contradicting the claim that invasive mussels have benefited the Great Lakes: Filtering activities of zebra & quagga mussels remove phytoplankton that the prey of lake whitefish feed on, setting off "a calamitous chain reaction further up the food chain." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
The Great Lakes’ most emblematic fish could be consigned to history books
A delicacy for centuries and a key part of Native tradition, the lake whitefish has seen its population crash. Researchers know why … but stopping it is another matter