Asian Clam Eradication Efforts
The invasive Asian Clam is known to clog intake pipes and out-compete native species for food. Photo by Noel M. Burkhead.
Efforts are underway in Lake George to use benthic mats to exterminate a population of Asian clam. The Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, is a small bivalve that is native to southern Asia, the eastern Mediterranean, and Australia. They are small, usually less than 1.5 inches in size, and have a light tan or brown shell (color varies) with distinctive concentric ridges. The Lake George population was discovered just last year, and is thought to be small enough that control efforts can lead to complete eradication. The benthic mats used for control are rolled out on the lake bottom and weighted down with steel rebar. The mats are expected to suffocate any Asian clams beneath them within 45-days.
