Zebra mussels cannot survive under anaerobic conditions for any extended period of time. Maximum growth and reproductive output occur at oxygen conditions above saturation. Although oxygen saturation depends upon both water temperature and atmospheric pressure, zebra mussels can survive for periods of up to 2 weeks in water of extremely low dissolved oxygen, provided temperature is sufficiently low. Stanczykowska (1977) found zebra mussels in European lakes with oxygen levels ranging from 0.1-13.3 mg/l, an extremely large range. Even with such high tolerances for extremely low dissolved oxygen concentrations, several researchers have suggested oxygen deprivation as a viable strategy for zebra mussel management (Claudi and Mackie 1994).
Values for determining risk for dissolved oxygen values by the Risk Assessment Calculator are as follows: