Spiny freshwater crayfish researched in first study of its kind in NSW

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Scientists with a passion for spiny freshwater crayfish are undertaking the first ever study of the particular species in New South Wales. It is hoped their work will lead to better outcomes for the critters and their threatened aquatic homes.

Transcript

00:00With long claws and a bright hard-shelled body, you might think spiny crayfish dominate

00:07our inland waterways and scientific research, but that's not the case.

00:12We just don't know anything about their population structure.

00:15There is no data that exists out here.

00:17Deep in the Royal National Park near Appen, a small team of scientists from the NSW Department

00:22of Climate Change are trying to fix that.

00:24We could see a population decline in freshwater crayfish which could really have really detrimental

00:31effects on the ecosystem because they do hold those keystone roles.

00:35While they can be feisty, crayfish are an important source of food for frogs, fish and

00:41even platypus.

00:42By setting up a catch and release system, the group will take note on the animal's

00:46sex and size.

00:48What we'll do is attack acoustic transmitters to these crayfish and we'll get some movement

00:52data using those.

00:54It's a tedious process the team will replicate downstream of Greater Sydney and the Illawarra's

00:59largest dams, and then re-evaluate this time next year.

01:03In this area we're at Sydney's drinking water catchment, so water quality is very important.

01:06So we want to understand if there are things that are changing the quality of the water.

01:11So we then might look at if there are changes, what's causing it.

01:15The Royal National Park is surrounded by mines and small towns.

01:19If results show crayfish are being impacted by these developments, the team wants to take

01:23a closer look at the catchment's water-sharing plan.

01:27That could mean some changes to when people can take water and how much.

01:31Crayfish are not only really cute to me, but they're just super important to protect.

01:36A first-of-its-kind wellbeing check on these clawsome creatures.

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