The invasive species, known for wreaking havoc on lakes and rivers across North America, has now made its way into the Permian Basin.

Mollusks are filter feeders that typically make water clearer. But zebra and quagga mussels filtered so much plankton from the water that they starved native mussels and fostered harmful algal blooms.

Zebra mussels are small, bivalve mollusks that thrive in freshwater environments by attaching themselves to surfaces such as rocks, boats, and pipes. “A zebra mussel is a little mollusk,” said ...