[Pink.]

Though mussels are considered one of the great delicacies of the seafood world, a particular variety of the crustacean has left a bitter ecological aftertaste. Zebra mussels, an invasive species native to the Caspian Sea are thought to have hitched a ride to the midwestern Great Lakes in the late 1980s by clinging to the hulls of U.S.–bound European vessels. The unwelcome visitors, that have since spread east to New England, are known to feed on the phytoplankton that nourishes the filter feeders which support the diets of larger fish— effectively starving other species unfortunate enough to live alongside them.

The creatures' tendency to cluster and cling to hard surfaces has also proved nightmarish for many power plants and water-consuming facilities that have incurred over $500 million in costs per year fighting off the buildup of mussels that clogs their pipelines.

[Jere]

alot of good info.nice post

[Pink.]

The snake craze that caught on among American pet owners in the mid-1990s grew out of control — literally — when python owners began releasing the 20-ft. (6 m) creatures into the wild once they became too big for their tanks.

But unlike many domesticated animals who can't survive in the wild, the pythons have thrived and multiplied, particularly in the Everglades where they have become a scary nuisance, posing a potential threat to humans and feeding on native endangered species such as Key Largo wood rats, round-tailed muskrats and even alligators.

Though over 1,300 pythons have been removed from the Everglades, concerns over the ever-growing species could lead to an import ban of the high-maintenance, impractical pets.

[Pink.]

Originally Posted by jerebear3 ↗

alot of good info.nice post

Thanks. I was reading it with my kid, found it interesting, and thought it belonged here.

[Jere]

i like to read to my grand kids im only 46 and have 2 ilove em so much

[Pink.]

Originally Posted by jerebear3 ↗

i like to read to my grand kids im only 46 and have 2 ilove em so much

We have a big extended family. At my house one might think I have a dozen but I have only 5 of my own...

My kids all have reading lists and we try to read what they have to with them.

My 11 yo is taking environmental science and I found this on a newssite. It fit right in with her studies.

[JohnnyBeards]

You forgot the most invasive species of all.

Humans are everywhere and cause the extinction of another species every 20 minutes.

[Pink.]

very true.

Very true.

[Wardead]

FUCK ASIAN CARP they are such assholes man

[johnleeknoefler]

Originally Posted by Pink. ↗

they are also relatively lousy at producing honey — making them a threat to agriculture as well

From my own first hand experience Africanized honey bees outperform European domesticated honey bees by at least a third more in honey production. Thier queens lay more eggs as well.
The main drawback is their aggressive behavior which makes it hard to work in them. Then also they will sometimes swarm out and leave a hive if disturbed and they can remain aggressive for days after being disturbed. Here in USA they are now highly hybridized with domestic European honey bees and their behavior is much more mild than it was even ten years ago when I first worked with them. Some queens still pop up about ten percent of the time with much of the original aggressiveness of their true blood African ancesters. Africanized honey bees and European honey bees are basically the same bee that has adapted to survive in their own area's conditions.
Africanized honey bees can be domesticated with careful hybridization and selective breeding and will one day prove to be the blessing that was hoped for when first brought to the Americas. They may very well be saving the American honey industry because of their aggressive breeding habits and natural hybridization tendencies.