A new tool is helping scientists protect some of the most important yet overlooked creatures in our freshwater ecosystems, reported Earth.com.
The World of Crayfish, created by researchers from Romania's West University of Timișoara and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is the first searchable global atlas for these small crustaceans that serve as "keystone species" in lakes, rivers, and streams.
This innovative platform brings together information on 427 crayfish taxa and over 100,000 observation records, solving a significant problem for researchers and conservationists who previously had to search through scattered sources for basic information.
"One of the most basic pieces of information to know about a species is where it lives: its distribution and its range size. But we just don't have that information for a lot of crayfish species," explained researcher Bloomer.
"About a third of crayfish are thought to be threatened or endangered, but for another 20-ish percent, we don't have the data available to even assess what their conservation status should be."
The atlas emerged from years of meticulous work extracting GPS coordinates from modern scientific literature and collections, including thousands of records from the Illinois Natural History Survey's Crustacean Collection.
What makes this breakthrough so valuable is its ability to help tackle both conservation needs and invasion issues. In North America, many crayfish species face habitat destruction and pollution threats, yet when introduced to Europe, some species become harmful invaders.
"Invasive species are one of the gravest challenges to biodiversity in Europe, with profound ecological, economic, and societal consequences," said atlas co-creator Mihaela Ion from the Institute of Biology Bucharest. "They disrupt ecosystems, outcompete native species, and impose significant costs on sectors like agriculture and fisheries."
The platform visualizes data on a world map with 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) hexagons, balancing conservation planning needs while protecting sensitive species locations. Researchers can register for accounts to access more detailed information.
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Definitely 👍 Like organizations such as Trashie working to reduce plastic pollution, this atlas aims to make a lasting difference by connecting global efforts to solve local problems.
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"The platform's strength lies in its ability to merge diverse data streams into a cohesive system that generates actionable insights," said Lucian Pârvulescu, project coordinator.
"By focusing on freshwater ecosystems, particularly crayfish species, it addresses an urgent need for tools that do more than collect data — they provide solutions."The team hopes their work will inspire both official conservation action and public interest in these creatures.
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