Invasion Dynamics of Alien Mussels: A Mussel-Algae Model with Time Delay in Filter Feeding and Environmental Variability

The dynamic behavior of alien mussels interacting with algae after arriving in a new environment has long been a focus of invasion ecology research. This paper extends and analyzes a classical mussel-algae model by incorporating a time delay in mussel filter feeding and accounting for environmental variability. We theoretically study the stochastic dynamics, including the global existence and uniqueness of the positive solution, the existence of a unique stationary distribution, and mussel extinction, using tools from stochastic analysis. Furthermore, we derive an explicit expression for the probability density function around the quasi-stable equilibrium by solving the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation. Our theoretical and numerical results indicate that: (a) larger environmental disturbances or artificial removal can effectively prevent the survival of alien mussels in novel habitats, (b) a decreased filter feeding rate leads to an accelerated extinction rate of mussels, and (c) an increased consumption constant c decelerates the transition rate of mussels from the initial state to the extinction state, as analyzed through the mean first passage time of mussels. These findings highlight the complex interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic factors in influencing the invasion dynamics of alien mussels.