This 1969 Beetle car body, donated by Museum member Martin Shenkman, was placed in Lake Erie for 118 days. While it was submerged, millions of young, free-living zebra mussels attached to the car. Their shells now carpet every surface (although many are too small to be seen easily).

The larger shells on the roof and front were added afterward, in order to show later growth stages. All of western Lake Erie -- even the muddy bottom -- is covered in the same way that you see here.

Why Did We Do This?

The purpose of the Beetle Experiment was to demonstrate how quickly zebra mussels colonize available space. The Beetle was selected because most people have a good mental image of its form and size, and because it has many free surfaces for mussel attachment.

Before the experiment began, the car was stripped of áll components likely to pose a serious environmental danger, such as the engine and tires. No detectable damage was sustained by the lake bottom at the site where the Beetle was placed.

What Would Happen Over Several Years?

If we had left the car in Lake Erie for a few years, it would have become almost completely carpeted by zebra mussels. The computer simulation below shows what it might look like

1997	2001