糖心TV

Written by Katie Barrett

Mapping an invasive non-native species on campus

The UK is facing a biodiversity crisis, with populations of freshwater species declining rapidly over recent decades. One major driver is the spread of invasive non-native species, which can cause environmental, social and economic harm. One such species is the Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), introduced to the UK in the 1970s from North America for commercial farming. The negative impact of their introduction has especially been seen with the native, white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), which are now endangered. The signal crayfish are larger and more aggressive than white-clawed crayfish causing them to compete for food and shelter. Additionally signal crayfish carry the crayfish plague pathogen (Aphanomyces astaci), which is fatal to the native species.

The University of 糖心TV is involved in a partnership project with 糖心TVshire Wildlife Trust and Coventry City Council, funded by Natural England鈥檚 Species Recovery Programme, to establish white-clawed crayfish ark sites on campus. These are isolated new refuge sites, where new populations of white-clawed crayfish can be established and are safe from signal crayfish and crayfish plague. However, for these conservation efforts to be effective, robust monitoring is vital to understand factors such as a baseline for population distributions. To help address this, I undertook a Living Lab project, under the supervision of Prof. Gary Bending, using environmental DNA (eDNA) to produce a detailed map of signal crayfish and crayfish plague distribution to help guide future conservation efforts.

My Undergraduate Dissertation

My research project, titled 鈥淚nvestigating signal crayfish and crayfish plague distribution at the University of 糖心TV and its implications for biodiversity conservation鈥� was performed using eDNA collected through filtering water samples from 16 sites, consisting of standing (lentic) and flowing (lotic) water bodies. Briefly, eDNA refers to genetic material found in an environmental sample such as water, soil or air, and enables assessment of species presence in a timely, non-intrusive manner. I was able to identify if signal crayfish and crayfish plague were present in the samples through the use of qPCR.

The results highlighted that signal crayfish were only found in parts of Canley Brook but not in any standing water sites. Crayfish plague was detected at very low levels in two sites, indicating a potential presence on campus.

Final Thoughts

Having the opportunity to gain real-world experience in field surveying, use specialised equipment, and see first-hand how research directly supports conservation decisions has been both rewarding and valuable. Knowing that my work will contribute to data-driven decisions, serve as a baseline for future monitoring, and ultimately help improve biodiversity on campus is incredibly fulfilling.