摘要：We evaluated the efficacy of strobe lights as deterrents to zebra mussel settlement and migration under laboratory and field conditions. Zebra mussels preferentially settle in darker areas and, in laboratory experiments, moved away from light. Strobe lights effectively repel a number offish species but have not previously been tested on zebra mussels. If strobe lights proved effective as a zebra mussel repellant, fish repellence may be an additional advantage in some applications. In the laboratory, mussels were exposed to either strobe lights or darkness for one hour. We measured the total distance, linear distance, and direction traveled by zebra mussels by digitizing trails left in a fine layer of sand on aquarium floors. Displacement and direction traveled by the zebra mussels varied significantly with presence of strobe lights; however, total distance traveled did not. Mussels moved away from the strobe source, but moved randomly in darkness. In the field, PVC plates were exposed to strobe lights, strobe light backscatter, or darkness in two locations in Lake Champlain for an average of 37 days. Neither settlement nor migration of zebra mussels was affected by the illumination of plates by strobe lights or by strobe light backscatter. There were no treatment, location, or interaction effects on juvenile or adult density in field experiments. We therefore conclude that the use of strobe lights is not an effective method for controlling zebra mussel populations.
