Congratulations to the eagle-eyed team at CSR Marine. Earlier this month, CSR offloaded a boat and their Travelift operators spotted zebra mussels on the hull. CSR immediately notified WDFW who came out within 24 hours and decontaminated the vessel. They removed several hundred mussels. The vessel had previously been inspected at the borders for Wyoming, Oregon and Washington and had received hot washes, but the location where the mussels were found was a gap in the keel. “Kudos to the guys at CSR who were really sharp in spotting this, and to CSR for doing the right thing and notifying us,” said Cory Geisler, WDFW’s supervisor for aquatic invasive species in Western Washington.
Zebra mussels can be as large as two inches, or as small as a sesame seed. According to Cory, they can grow on virtually anything. “They like holes, they like gaps, they like anywhere that has a right angle.” He urges boatyards to train their staff: one telltale sign to be aware of is that sandpapery type of feeling when you run your hands over a watercraft. For these and other tips or to have Cory visit your boatyard to train your staff please contact him: cory.geisler@dfw.wa.gov or 360-762-7433
