Science podcast: The invasion of quagga mussels – and how it can be stopped

The small quagga mussel is causing problems across the northern hemisphere, changing ecosystems in its path, attacking water supplies and leading to costly damage. Technology and international cooperation are now being deployed to fight the invasion. In this episode of ‘The Swiss Connection’ science podcast, reporter Julie Hunt takes us to the bottom of Swiss lakes, where the quagga is a threat to biodiversity and water-based infrastructure. Quagga mussels originally come from the Black Sea region and were first spotted in Switzerland in 2014 in the Rhine river near Basel. The mussel can reproduce almost all year round and can inhabit deep-water zones where there are few predators. We talk to specialists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Eawag about the problem and look at some technical solutions to keep the invasive mollusc at bay. Find out more about the ‘The Swiss Connection’ science podcast and our other podcasts in English here, on Apple ...