141 pints
donated in
blood drive
Sigma Theta Chi
takes first in
competition
Lea Gotch
The Collegian
"The Greater Erie Blood Drive
Competition was a huge success
with 141 pints of blood being
donated," said Patty McMahon,
Nurse Practitioner and
Chairperson of the Health
Advisory Board.
Sigma Theta Chi won top
honors, including a pizza party,
for the organization with the
most individuals donating in their
name.
The winner was determined by
the percentage of donors from
(continued on page 2)
Inside
The Collegian
this week
Page 3...
Nationally adaimed
poet to speak here
next week
Page 5...
Louanne tackles
relationships and
confidentiality
Page 7...
A condensed
opera performed
in Wintergarden
Page 11...
Lions open 1991
basketball season
with home victory
Zebra mussels tackled by Mastellar
Behrend professor works with students to research solutions to the problem
b no d J. Csir
The Collegian
Zebra mussels are becoming
the latest threat for many Lake
Erie ports. including Erie, says
Dr. Edwin MasteLler, a biology
professor who is studying the
molluscs.
These freshwater menaces,
originating in Europe, were
transported to America by way of
attaching themselves to the
ballasts of ships in freshwater
ports overseas. The mussels were
then discharged into freshwater
ports in the United States.
Zebra mussels have been
reproducing rapidly in the Great
Lakes since 1986 and first
appeared in Lake Erie in July
1988. Zebra Mussels have been
found throughout the Great Lakes
and threaten an already delicate
ecosystem.
Twelve endangered species of
clams around Presque Isle State
Park have been marked by
Masteller and his student
researchers. --The clams' food
supply is restricted by the
invading mussels. which causes
problems for other organisms in
the food chain as well.
"Once they fasten on to
something, zebra mussels will
cling to each other in large
clumps," said Mastella.
Zebra mussels also extract
calcium carbonate from the water,
which acts as a buffer against acid
rain. As more mussels grow, so
too will the acidity level, which
could also adversely affect the
lake's environment, said
Masteller.
Beraw, European waters have
become cleaner in recent years,
zebra mussels have been able to
adapt and to grow more rapidly in
the bays where ship's water is
taken. "They have been so
abundant that navigation buoys
have actually sunk," said
Masteller.
Zebra mussels also clog
intake pipes for water treatment
facilities, which caused the city
of Monroe, Michigan to close
schools and businesses because
the molluscs encrusted the city's
water intake pipes in January of
1989.
In fact, the City Erie recently
sent divers down to examine the
intake pipes of Erie's
Sommerheim Pumping Station.
There they found the start of a
colony of Zebra mussels, which
city officials fear will turn into a
huge headache in the next few
years.
Lake Erie fisheries and
spawning beds, which breed
walleye and trout, could be
greatly diminished in population
because the mussels consume
(continued on page 2)
Menacing mollusc: This photograph of
bysall threads, an extension of the zebra
mussel, was taken by Dr. Larry Ekroat,
associate professor of biology at Behrend.
Lambda Pi
Eta honors
students
Speakers, seminars
ready students for
careers in field
b Bill Goodman
The Collegian
The national communication
honor society at Behrend, Lambda
Pi Eta, has many plans in store
for the upcoming year. Many of
the activities they sponsor reflect
their dedication to promoting
communication skills.
At the end of this semester,
Lambda Pi Eta will hold a winter
banquet, and next semester they
intend to bring debates to local
high schools and Behrend, as well
as a series of speakers presenting
views and opportunities in the
communication industry. The
series will include Marjorie
(continued on page 3)