We're seeking volunteers!





Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife





*mefishwildlife.com*






Help ensure Maine's lakes stay healthy!

zebra mussels
Volunteer for the Zebra Mussel Settling Plate Project

With the recent discovery of invasive zebra mussel infestations in the Saint John River on the shared Maine border with Canada, we're looking for volunteers to help with a project to monitor for potential spread. If you live on or commonly recreate on lakes in the state, you may be able to help!

Zebra mussel infestations can be easily monitored for with a tool called settling plates, where zebra mussels may attach once past their larval stage. Routine visual checks of these settling plates by volunteers will allow quick detection of any new zebra mussel infestation.

Volunteers should be prepared to monitor the plates every 2-3 weeks May - October. For the 2025 season, the Department has 100 settling plates that can be borrowed and maintained by volunteers for the season. The project can be completed by individuals, lake associations, businesses, or create your own group.



*Sign Up to Help* [ [link removed] ]


*Learn More about the Project* [ [link removed] ]


We are primarily looking for assistance in certain waters in Androscoggin, Aroostook,  Kennebec, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset, with a few waters in Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Sagadahoc, and Waldo; please visit our website to view the list of priority waters. [ [link removed] ] If you are interested in participating in this project on a water body outside of these lakes, you are encouraged to complete the form [ [link removed] ] and provide the lake name and county. We will determine the necessity of this program on that water body based on the threat zebra mussels may pose there and prioritize our resources accordingly. Thank you for your interest.

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What is Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife doing about the zebra mussel threat?

As part of an initial response plan developed in 2023, the Department is undertaking multiple efforts to proactively address the invasive zebra mussel risk. This includes taking water samples from waterbodies potentially more vulnerable to zebra mussels and testing them for environmental DNA (eDNA) that would indicate zebra mussel presence much earlier than they could be physically detected. Learn more about the use of eDNA for early detection in our blog. [ [link removed] ]

The Department is also continuing the community science program which relies on community members who are regularly visiting a waterbody to use a tool called settling plates to help detect any potential zebra mussels in waters at risk ("please see details above"). These active monitoring approaches are just one portion of our broader efforts to educate on the threats that all aquatic invasive species pose, emphasizing the need to practice proper clean, drain, dry guidelines. Prevention is the most effective way to limit the spread of invasive species and protect Maine’s many water resources.






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More Information

About Zebra Mussels [ [link removed] ]

Protect Maine's Waters from Aquatic Invasive Species [ [link removed] ]








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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ·41 State House Station · Augusta, ME 04333-0041 · (207) 287-8000 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]