The red swamp crayfish is a highly adaptable and ecological competitive freshwater species originally from North America. It is approximately 120mm (4in) long and is recognized as an Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of Union Concern. This species is known for its rapid spread; it can breed in the spring and early autumn, and a single female can lay up to 600 eggs.
This crayfish is commonly found in rivers, canals, ponds, and wetlands. It is exceptionally resilient, capable of surviving in saline or oxygen-poor environments. Notably, it can survive out of the water for 24 hrs and can travel across land to colonize new areas. It has been also seen using salty environments as a passage for reaching other freshwater environments.
Through the GuardIAS project, the University of Pavia is implementing targeted management strategies across specific sites in Northern Italy to control and monitor the species.
Northern Italy: Lombardy (Ticino River Basin), University of Pavia
Central Italy: Tuscany (Lake Romena), University of Florence
Efforts here focus on protecting the nearby National Park and its native white-clawed crayfish populations.
These combined efforts led to a 82% decrease in the crayfish population abundance index by 2025. Static underwater cameras are also used to check if the crayfish are spreading downstream of the lake. Because the population is now so low, trapping will be integrated with manual removal of female pleopods (eggs/larvae) to test if total eradication is possible.
Università Degli Studi Di Pavia:
Università Degli Studi Di Firenze: Elena Tricarico, elena.tricarico@unifi.it
“This project is not just about managing invasive species today—it’s about developing a proactive approach that anticipates future ecological challenges, ensuring robust ecosystems and sustainable marine environments for generations to come”
“For over 35 years, since I first began studying non-indigenous species, I have dreamed of tools that could reveal the ‘Big Picture’ of the transfer, spread, and impacts of invasive aquatic species. Thanks to advances in new technologies, the GuardIAS project now offers an outstanding opportunity to make that vision a reality.”
Anastasija is a marine scientist with a broad expertise in aquatic ecology, ecology of biological invasions and the development and assessment of molecular tools for monitoring and surveillance.
Anastasija is a co-founder and Lead Scientist of Sequench Ltd (Nelson, New Zealand), specializing in molecular research and services as well as development of optimised sampling solutions for eDNA.
In 2023, she was elected a President of the newly established Southern eDNA Society (SeDNAs), which aims to promote science and industry collaboration to advance best practice eDNA methods and their wider adoption nature research and conservation.
Marine biologist with over 40 years of experience in temperate seas and the Arctic. His research focuses on climate change, human impacts, and the spread of invasive alien species. He has pioneered international tools such as AquaNIS and other information system on IAS, IAS impact assessment and bioinvasion indicators.
