Andrew Vik
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Well, I managed to pry my butt off this chair for a little while today.
I went looking for the Perna invaders. Result: a total strike out.
I looked in several locations from the North end of Hillsborough Bay all
the way down to Apollo Beach, just South of the Big Bend plant. The only
mussels that I found on a variety of substrates (oyster beds, concrete
rubble, red mangrove roots, wood pilings) were all Geukensia demissa,
one of the native species. I even explored the Apollo Beach Nature
Preserve, which is in plain view of the Big Bend plant about 1/4 mile
across the harbor.
No dice there either.

Apparently, the invasion is not very extensive at this time. What kind
of substrates do Perna prefer? Are they subtidal? Perhaps I am looking
in the wrong places.

Scott, did you have any better luck than I ?

Andrew