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In July 1999, green mussels were seen for the first time at Tampa Electric Company's (TECO) Gannon Station Power Plant (Gulf of Mexico, Hillsborough Bay portion of Tampa Bay, western coast of Florida) during routine maintenance of the seawater intake system. The mussels were identified as Perna viridis (Linnaeus 1758) based on shell and anatomical characters. This identification has been confirmed by cytological analysis. Perna viridis had previously not been found in the United States or in the Gulf of Mexico. Perna viridis is a native species in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and was discovered in the Caribbean Sea in Trinidad in 1990 and in Jamaica in 1998. The populations are widespread locally and well established: the largest specimen collected was estimated to be 15 months of age. This is the second species of Perna introduced to the Gulf of Mexico, joining Perna perna (Linnaeus 1758). which was discovered in Texas in 1990. Since the initial discovery of Perna viridis ill Tampa Bay, range surveys have found it as far north as John's Pass in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida and as far south as Boca Grande, Charlotte County, Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1999, the green mussel, Perna viridis, was first observed in Tampa Bay, Florida. This was the first reported occurrence of this Indo-Pacific marine bivalve in North America. The mussels found in Tampa Bay were confirmed to be P. viridis based on both morphological and genetic characteristics. Since the initial discovery, surveys in Tampa Bay and on the West coast of Florida have documented the growth, recruitment, and range expansion of P. viridis. From November 1999 to July 2000, the mean shell length of a Tampa Bay population increased from 49.0 mm to 94.1 mm, an increase of 97%. Populations of P. viridis are successfully reproducing in Tampa Bay. Recruitment was observed on sampling plates in May and continued through July 2000. The full extent of mussel colonization is not clear, but mussels were found outside Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida, south to Venice. Based on these studies it is evident that P. viridis has successfully invaded Tampa Bay and the west coast of Florida. The long-term impact of P. viridis on native communities off the west coast of Florida cannot be predicted at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tropical Asian green mussel, Periza viridis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) is a recent invader in the Caribbean Basin, including the subtropical southeastern United States. In this study we examined the (1) range of P. viridis in the southeastern United States, (2) relative abundance of P. viridis across habitats and (3) density of P. viridis in Tampa Bay, FL. The invasion and spread of P. viridis in the southeastern United States was estimated by a combination of first-hand qualitative sampling and second-hand observations. There were apparently at least two discrete introductions, each followed by natural dispersal. The initial invasion was discovered in Tampa Bay in 1999, and was followed by rapid spread of P. viridis south as far as Marco Island, FL, but limited spread northward. In 2002, a second invasion occurred in northeast Florida. separated from the west Florida population by 650 km of coastline. On the east coast, P. viridis appeared to be distributed discontinuously between South Carolina and the Indian River Lagoon, FL by 2007. The literature concerning native distribution, habitat use and invasion history, and vectors of P. viridis is also reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]