Control and Prevention of Invasive Bivalves

1991

Introduction of the golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei, to America through the ballast water of transoceanic ships. First record: Río de la Plata shore, Bagliardi Beach, Pdo. Berisso, Provincia de Buenos Aires.

End of 1993

From Punta Piedras to Punta Lara (Río de la Plata, Bs.As.). Not recorded further north, nor in any other river of the The Plata basin, nor in any other country.

1994

First case of macrofouling (settlement inside piping) in South American freshwater, at the water intakes of La Plata city (OSBA) - Punta Lara, Río de la Plata. This case was treated by our work group, Facultad Ciencias Naturales y Museo (UNLP), La Plata.

End of 1994
Beginning of 1995

Drinking water intakes at Bernal and Buenos Aires City. First record at Colonia, Uruguay.

End of 1995

First collection on the Paraná river. New macrofouling cases.

During 1996

Numerous collections on the Paraná and adjacent rivers and streams.

End of 1996 Beginning of 1997

Macrofouling has become common in the water intakes of the industrial zone of the Paraná river.

During 1998

First record on the Paraguay river, at Puerto de Asunción, República del Paraguay. On the Paraná river, it is distributed up to Posadas Harbour, Misiones (Argentina).

Beginning of 1999

First record in Brazil. Gauíba Basin, Puerto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul.

During 2000/2001.

Start of macrofouling in Brazil and Uruguay . On the Paraguay river, the ecological sanctuary "El Pantanal" (Bolivia-Brazil) was invaded. First record of invasion on the Uruguay river , reaching up to Salto Grande Hydroelectric Power Plant.
At the beginning of the 2001 the first appointment is made in the Hydroelectric Power Plant Itaipú (Brazil-Paraguay) and the presence of the golden mussel in these years is considered in the Atomic Power Plant, Embalse Córdoba. (Argentina)

February 19, 2004

San Pablo. Industrial state of the Brazil. Specimens in the UHE Isla Solteira emergency gate. The species moves, from the Itaipu Dam, approximately 640 km in 4 years (at a speed of 160 km/year).