A small mollusc is causing many problems in Switzerland and across the northern hemisphere, changing ecosystems in its path, attacking water supplies and causing millions in damage. New technology and international cooperation are being deployed to fight the invasion. Researchers from Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the United States, which also suffer from an invasive mussels infestation, are pooling their findings to better understand the behaviour of the quagga. Quagga origins Quagga mussels come from the Black Sea region and were first spotted in Switzerland in 2014 in the River Rhine near Basel. They are relatives of the zebra mussel, which has been present in parts of Europe for 200 years and in Switzerland since the 1960s. The larva of the quagga mussel is invisible to the naked eye. It is carried downstream in rivers or transported by attaching itself to boats. The mussel can reproduce almost all year round and, unlike the zebra mussel, can inhabit deep-water zones where ...
