Invasive quagga mussels transform lake geneva ecosystem and clog critical infrastructure

A small but destructive invader is wreaking havoc across one of Europe’s most pristine lakes. Quagga mussels have fundamentally altered Lake Geneva’s ecosystem while simultaneously causing major infrastructure problems for nearby institutions.

At the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL), these invasive mollusks have created a crisis that reads like a medical emergency. Within just two years, the tiny mussels infiltrated over 3 miles of underground pipes that draw cold water from 250 feet below Lake Geneva’s surface to cool university buildings. Like arterial blockage, their crushed shells reduced heat exchanger efficiency by one-third, causing air conditioning systems to fail during summer heat waves and pushing building temperatures well above comfortable levels.

“It’s an open invasion,” warns Mathurin Dupanier, EPFL’s utilities operations manager, describing how quickly these mollusks colonized the cooling system infrastructure. The situation at EPFL represents just one example of quagga mussels’ broader environmental impact across multiple continents.

These destructive invaders aren’t limited to Switzerland – they’ve already devastated Great Lakes ecosystems in the United States by disrupting food chains and outcompeting native species. This week brought alarming news that quagga mussels have been detected in Northern Ireland for the first time, signaling their continued spread across European waters. Their rapid reproduction rate and ability to attach to virtually any hard surface makes them nearly impossible to eradicate once established, transforming entire aquatic ecosystems and creating costly infrastructure maintenance challenges for communities worldwide.