By Joe Moore
Could Mother Nature Have Delivered Us an Unexpected Ally Against Nutrient Pollution?
I just came across this compelling piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Paul Smith, which highlights the profound effects invasive mussels—zebra and quagga—have had on the Great Lakes ecosystem, arguably reshaping it more than anything since the Ice Age.
These mussels are voracious filter feeders, capable of processing about 1 liter of water every day per mussel. Their activity has significantly increased water clarity and reduced plankton biomass, basic drivers of eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. In essence, they strip excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the system, which are otherwise causing oxygen depletion and dead zones in lakes such as Erie.
It is ironic. A species considered a major ecological threat has also performed one of the functions we humans have struggled to achieve, nutrient filtration on an enormous scale.
Now, what if we viewed this not only as a cautionary example of invasive disruption, but also as a revelation of nature’s own nutrient mitigation mechanism? The parallel is hard to ignore.
What lessons might we draw for sustainable nutrient pollution management?
Could engineered or bioaugmented filter feeders mimic this effect in targeted waters?
Is there potential in harnessing native filtration species or innovating nutrient removal wetlands that operate with similar efficiency?
And equally important, how do we ensure that trying to replicate this does not introduce new ecological disruptions?
This is not about endorsing invasive species management or introduction but rather, learning from nature’s unintended experiments. If organisms like zebra and quagga mussels can pull out nutrients at scale, how might we channel that insight for ecological engineering that is safe, controlled, and grounded in native biodiversity?
Are there emerging nature-based solutions, from algae bioreactors to constructed marshes, that could offer nutrient cleanup without the ecological downsides?
How can we ethically and effectively scale filter-based nutrient mitigation?
Let us explore how ecological wisdom, even from the unlikeliest of invaders, might inspire climate-smart, nature-based innovation in water management.
Here's a link to the article I read. Click Here
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