Polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids: Biomarkers for native and exotic mussels in the Laurentian Great Lakes

►Invasive zebra and quagga mussels cause economic and environmental damage. ►Invasive mussels sequester persistent organic contaminants. ►Invasive mussels may also harbor botulism-producing bacteria. ►Mussels uniquely contain lipids called polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids. ►‪Polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids can be used to trace the flow of mussel carbon.