Great Lakes Shipwrecks Are Being Eaten Away By Acidic Mussels
I've always been fascinated with shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Did you know that there are over 6,000 shipwrecks between all 5 of them, and most are still undiscovered? I learned that today, after reading about the latest steamer shipwreck that was found.
1872 Shipwreck Discovered In Lake Michigan
The Lac La Belle was a luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872. It began taking on water, and the captain turned the boat back to port. But large waves crashed over and extinguished the boilers. They abandoned ship, but sadly, one of the lifeboats capsized, killing 8 people.
There are thousands more shipwrecks on the Great Lakes that historians are trying to find, and it could be a race against time.
Historians Race Against Time To Find Shipwrecks
The shipwrecks across the Great Lakes are preserved by the cold temperatures, and that's especially true in Lake Superior. However, historians have identified a threat to the shipwrecks. It's the invasive Quagga mussel.
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Quagga Mussel
The quagga mussel is similar to the invasive zebra mussel, but it can survive at deeper depths. It's present on all the shipwrecks in the lower Great Lakes, and can be found in Lake Superior, too. Fortunately, Lake Superior has relatively low numbers for now. It's believed the low calcium levels in Lake Superior are why.
The mussels will burrow into the ship's hull, and then they build upon themselves. The weight of the mussels can get heavy enough to crush the hull. It's not just for wooden shipwrecks, either. The mussels produce acid that causes the steel and iron hulls to rust and corrode away.
Clear Water Indicates A Clear Problem
The quagga mussels eat so many nutrients like plantkon that they actually clear up the water. While that may seem like a good thing, it's taking away all the food from other fish. The base level of the food chain in the Great Lakes is threatened, which can continue to get worse.