Crayfish in Western North America: Research Opportunities and Management Challenges

Recognition of the importance of crayfish has resulted in heightened research and management attention dedicated to this taxonomic group, ranging from evaluations of species conservation status to policy recommendations for the prevention of invasions. However, there is a striking regional disparity in the attention given to crayfish research and management. Researchers in the southeastern United States are increasing efforts to document and conserve the region’s endemic crayfish diversity, while researchers in the Great Lakes region have made important contributions quantifying the economic and ecological costs associated with crayfish invasions. By contrast, few recent studies on distributions, ecology, or management of crayfish have been conducted in the western regions of the United States and Canada. We propose a half-day symposium on crayfish research and management issues in western North America that will include 10 presentations by 10 different speakers from the United States and Canada.  This half-day symposium will summarize the state of knowledge on crayfish in western North America, emphasizing conservation status of native species, known introductions and emerging control methods of invasive crayfishes, cutting-edge research in ecology and evolution using crayfish as model organisms, and management and policy strategies involving invasive species prevention, commercial harvest and recreational fishing regulations.