How zebra mussels invaded US waterways

+ capturing images of Earth’s surface in minute detail US Edition - Today's top story: The westward spread of zebra and quagga mussels shows how tiny invaders can cause big problems [View in browser]( US Edition | 23 July 2022 [The Conversation]( Invasive plants and animals cause billions of dollars in damage across the U.S. every year. Zebra and quagga mussels are prime examples: Since they first infiltrated the Great Lakes in the late 1980s, they have spread south to Texas and west to California, clogging pipes and altering freshwater ecosystems as they go. Rochester Institute of Technology environmental historian Christine Keiner has studied how people respond to invasive species. As Keiner sees it, the hardest part of preventing and controlling these intruders isn’t scientific or technological – it’s raising public awareness about [the importance of simple actions]( like cleaning off boats and fishing gear so that alien species can’t hitch a ride. This week we also liked articles about “[summer learning loss](,” Utah’s [Pioneer Day]( and how Congress and the Supreme Court have long been at odds [over federal Indian law](. Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Energy Editor A boat propeller encrusted with zebra mussels. NPS/Flickr [The westward spread of zebra and quagga mussels shows how tiny invaders can cause big problems]( Christine Keiner, Rochester Institute of Technology Zebra and quagga mussels entered the Great Lakes in large ships’ ballast water. Now, local boaters and anglers are spreading them into the southern and western US. A couple rides on a float with a handcart during the parade for Pioneer Day, an annual Utah holiday, on July 24, 2019, in Salt Lake City. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer [Utah’s Pioneer Day celebrates Mormons’ trek west – but there’s a lot more to the history of Latter-day Saints and migration]( Jeffrey Turner, University of Utah The Utah holiday is a reflection of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ slowly changing identity, a historian of Mormonism and migration writes. The Yellow River in China winds past aquaculture and an oil and gas field on its way to a newly formed channel. NASA [Landsat turns 50: How satellites revolutionized the way we see – and protect – the natural world]( Stacy Morford, The Conversation With decades of images and data from the same locations, these satellites can show changes over time, including deforestation, changes in waterways and how loss of trees corresponds to urban heat. - [Polio in New York – an infectious disease doctor explains this exceedingly rare occurrence]( William Petri, University of Virginia The oral polio vaccine – which is no longer given in the US – relies on a live but weakened virus that can actually be passed from person to person. - [6 ways to keep kids’ school skills sharp over the summer]( Suzanne McLeod, Binghamton University, State University of New York Research has shown for more than a century that students fall behind during the summer break. An expert offers six tips on ways to help children keep up their academic skills during the summer. - [Supreme Court reversed almost 200 years of US law and tradition upholding tribal sovereignty in its latest term]( Kirsten Matoy Carlson, Wayne State University For the past 50 years, the Supreme Court has issued rulings that narrow tribal rights while Congress has worked to expand them. A recent ruling struck yet another blow against Native sovereignty. - [Sri Lanka’s crisis: Can the South Asian economy break from the past and find a route to stability?]( - [Shinto religion has long been entangled with Japan’s politics – and Shinzo Abe was associated with many of its groups]( - [From in-crowds to power couples, network science uncovers the hidden structure of community dynamics]( - [Lost touch with someone? Reach out – your friend will likely appreciate it more than you think]( - [Silent, subtle and unseen: How seizures happen and why they’re hard to diagnose]( - [Why are drug names so long and complicated? A pharmacist explains the logic behind the nomenclature]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](