Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.
The quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) is bivalve native to the Dneiper River drainage of Ukraine and Ponto-Caspian Sea. Establishment and impacts in the United States are occurring. Spreading of this nonindigenous species is likely between watersheds, where transportation of boats and other watercraft is common. D. bugensis can profoundly modify ecosystem characteristics through cascading effects of its water filtration behavior. Thick encrustations of mussels form on artificial structures or within raw water systems, interfering with operation and decreasing efficiency. D. bugensis can have major detrimental impacts on recreational and commercial shipping and boating as well as on water-using industries, potable water treatment plants, and electric power stations. Major injuries have been reported for native species in the Great Lakes, such as the extirpation of eight unionid species in some areas. The climate score was categorically high for the contiguous United States with all States having an individually high climate score except for Florida. The certainty of this assessment is high. Overall risk assessment for Dreissena bugensis is high.
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High Risk
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