Lake geneva’s ecological transformation: how quagga mussels demonstrate the unstoppable force of invasive species

Beneath the serene surface of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva lies a stark ecological reality: an invasion that has fundamentally altered the lake’s ecosystem in just one decade. The culprit is the quagga mussel, a small mollusk originally from the Black Sea region that has proven to be one of the world’s most destructive invasive species.

Biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston recently witnessed firsthand the dramatic transformation of this iconic European lake, where quagga mussels have established such dominance that researchers describe the underwater landscape as being completely overtaken. The mussels filter enormous quantities of water, disrupting food chains and outcompeting native species for resources. What makes this invasion particularly alarming is its speed and permanence—the changes appear irreversible.

This case exemplifies a global crisis that extends far beyond Lake Geneva. According to ecologists, invasive species contribute to more than 60% of plant and animal extinctions worldwide, making them one of the primary drivers of biodiversity loss. Yet despite their devastating impact, stopping these biological invasions once they’ve begun proves nearly impossible with current methods.

The podcast explores not only how invasive species spread across continents through human activities like shipping and trade, but also examines the innovative strategies conservationists are developing to combat them. Some experts argue that traditional approaches are insufficient and call for radical new methods to address what has become an increasingly urgent environmental challenge in our interconnected world.