This study will evaluate the distribution, population status, and habitat requirements for crayfish species of greatest conservation need (sgcn) in the pearl river drainage basin in louisiana, an area…

This $206,235 Formula Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4 under the State Wildlife Grants (CFDA 15.634) program will fund a study to evaluate the distribution, population status, and habitat requirements for several crayfish species of greatest conservation need in the Pearl River drainage basin in Louisiana. The project will involve sampling multiple streams, temporary waterways, and terrestrial habitats using passive and active survey techniques, with one graduate student focusing on secondary and tertiary burrowing crayfish species and another on primary and secondary burrowing species. The results will provide critical biological and distributional data to support conservation assessments and inform future population monitoring efforts for these crayfish species of concern. The grant has an award date of January 1, 2025 and ultimate completion date of December 31, 2026, and will be implemented by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

This study will evaluate the distribution, population status, and habitat requirements for crayfish species of greatest conservation need (sgcn) in the pearl river drainage basin in louisiana, an area lacking substantial biological data on crayfish populations. Six species of crayfish listed by the louisiana national heritage program as sgcn are found in the study area. Multiple streams, temporary waterways, and terrestrial habitats will be sampled throughout the study area with multiple passive and active techniques. One graduate student will sample streams, temporary waterways, and sloughs ditches for secondary and tertiary burrowing crayfishes and one graduate student will sample terrestrial habitats for primary and secondary burrowing crayfishes. The results from this study will provide critical biological and distributional information and population status on crayfishes that are of conservation concern in louisiana. This information will aid resource managers with species conservation assessments and provide distributional and population information that will provide a basis for population locations of sgcn. Future studies can sample these areas more intensely and establish robust quantitative biological and ecological data on crayfish population.