It was a close call. A Yellowstone National Park aquatic invasive species boat inspector found quagga mussels on a visitor’s boat during a routine AIS inspection last Thursday at Grant Village.
The inspector prevented the contaminated boat from launching. That detection of the mussels prevented a major potential release of this highly invasive species into Yellowstone waters.
If released into park waters, AIS can cause catastrophic changes to the ecosystem. To prevent the spread of AIS, park inspectors examine all boats, kayaks, canoes, and float tubes before visitors can launch them in the water. Boats with ballast tanks are not ever permitted to launch within the park.
Photo Amy Benson USGS
