How invasive alien Quagga mussels spotted in U.K can be life-threatning: 'They can poison drinking water

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An invasive species described by the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) as the number one most dangerous alien species is making waves throughout United Kingdom.

The alien Quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), which inhabits the waterways of Turkey and Ukraine, is among the  23 invasive species identified in a  University of Cambridge study to bring ecological destruction throughout the UK.

The Quagga mussel was first seen on October 1 in Wraysbury Reservoir, and environment experts say that it joins the ranks of the demon shrimp, killer shrimp, and bloody red shrimp as among the most pernicious creatures to invade the waters of Europe. And they are likely to increase in number and distribution, giving UK the scare of experiencing an "invasional meltdown".

Also called "ecosystem engineers", the Quagga mussel could do more harm than good because of  their ability to filter water, which upsets the natural balance throughout the food web. "They eat some pollutants, but they turn them  into concentrated toxic waste which can poison drinking water for people and wildlife," according to Practical Fishkeeping.

These creatures have also been said to cause suffering and death for hundreds of thousands of native animals, fish and plants. But they are prolific breeders capable of producing up to one million eggs per year.

Researchers say that the quagga mussel has "the ability to disrupt typical water conditions, promoting rapid growth of cyanobacteria, leading to the toxic changes that could adversely affect local shrimp and fish populations," according to a report published in viralglobalnews.com.

Meanwhile, a group of researches from the University of Cambridge made a study on invasive creatures, including the Quagga mussel. In a report posted in The Guardian, Dr. David Aldridge, one of the researchers said, "The impact from the Quagga mussel is really serious and it's the species we least wanted in the UK. Its impacts are direct and indirect. We're particularly worried about freshwater mussels, which they sit on top of, smother them and cause them to die."

Quagga can filter out blue-green algae, leading to clogged pipelines and waterways. They can also change the nature of sediment in lakebeds, which could harm snail populations, mayfly larvae and freshwater shrimps. 

Aldridge said that Quagga are a real threat "because they block water pipes in irrigation systems, power plants and water plants, and they can make boats more inefficient."

According to representatives with the U.K. Environment Agency, the quagga mussel has already cost UK over $2.8 billion annually, and everybody should be on the lookout for the silent yet certain invasion of these creatures.