Oct 21, 2008 6:44 pm US/Eastern
Rusty Crayfish Invade Md. Waterways
CARROLL COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Another non-native animal is moving into Maryland. The rusty crayfish is using the Susquehanna and Monocacy Rivers.
CBS
Another non-native animal is moving into Maryland. This time it's using the Susquehanna and Monocacy Rivers.
Alex DeMetrick reports every time these animals move in, native species disappear.
Researchers wade into the Monocacy River looking for trouble. They go in noisily, driving an underwater invader into collection nets.
"It has the potential to eliminate our native crayfish species and potentially change the whole dynamics, the whole structure of our streams and rivers, especially the food web," said Jay Kilian, DNR biologist.
That's because the rusty crayfish eats more and grows bigger than Maryland crayfish.
A native of the upper Midwest, it has been moving down the Monocacy into Carroll County after it was likely released by Pennsylvania fishermen, who use the rusties as bait.
First spotted last year, DNR biologists and students from Hood College are charting the rusty crayfish's spread and studying it in their labs.
That's important because the bay leads to other Maryland waterways. And once in, rusty crayfish explode.
Besides science, rusty crayfish also have the law working against them. It is illegal for fishermen or posses to use any crayfish in the Monocacy or Susquehanna Rivers.
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