A field experiment was conducted to determine the impact of low pH on the survival and settlement of dreissenid mussels. Water from Lake Ontario containing mussel larvae was pumped to a laboratory and divided into streams, with three streams having their pH adjusted to 7.3, 7.1, and 6.9 using phosphoric acid. The fourth stream served as a control. Adult mussels and settlement substrates were placed in tanks receiving each pH level or the control water. After 10 weeks, adult mortality reached 40% at pH 6.9. Adult mussels were significantly lighter at all pH levels compared to controls, indicating shell erosion and calcium loss. New settlement was essentially prevented at pH 7.1. The results suggest lowering pH