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• Native mussels in Minnesota are original species in our lakes and rivers. They have lived here since before humans began interacting with the waters.​ Native mussels are meant to be in our environment and are a main reason why our waters have been stable up until now.    

                          

• They are considered to be "ecosystem engineers" because they improve water habitat, making it more suitable for themselves and other organisms. They are responsible for filtering the water at a decent pace and keeping the water clean and healthy for other animals. Animals and plants in freshwater depend on native mussels to survive.                                                                       

• When we allow invasive zebra mussels to kill native mussels, that ruins the freshwater ecosystem. If the freshwater ecosystem fails, eventually other ecosystems will be harmed. Humans rely on clean freshwater sources for our water supply, so we also need to protect native mussels to serve our own interests.

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