Nonnative invasive species and native species outside of their natural range contribute to the decline and elimination of native species by carrying disease, altering and degrading habitat, and competing with or preying on native species.
The viability of remaining Higgins eye mussel populations in Minnesota is jeopardized by the infestation of nonnative zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Zebra mussels can attach themselves in large numbers to the shells of native mussels, eventually causing death by suffocation.
