The Rapid Assay for Encrustacea Attachment (RAEA), was developed by Dr. Kaster at the Great Lakes WATER Institute, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, specifically to test attachment viability of zebra and quagga mussels. It is used for attachment assessment to determine substrate suitability. This procedure has been used extensively to test attachment viability on a wide variety of industrial materials (e.g., power plant trash racks, various metal and synthetic plastic materials), coatings (e.g., anti-fouling paint, silicon coatings, pine tars) and natural materials (e.g., coal, taconite, limestones, lake substrates).
The material to be tested can be used directly or can be "painted" or "glued" to the test plates. Almost any material configuration can be used for testing. Adult zebra mussels and/or quagga mussels are used for testing. The experimantal design requirements include five replicates of each material. The test is completed in three or four days, depending on preparation needs. Results are reported using prevalence of 'attached', 'not attached', or 'translocators'.