Aquatic Invertebrates
Freshwater ecosystems support an amazing diversity of life. Over half of the ~100,000 freshwater animal species world-wide are insects, and more than 10,000 crustacean and 5000 molluscan species depend on water. Aquatic invertebrates play integral roles in the food web and in sustaining healthy aquatic ecosystems, but they are also seriously imperiled. Stoneflies, freshwater mussels, and crayfish comprise the three most at-risk animal groups in the U. S., with an estimated 69% of freshwater mussels, 51% of crayfish, and 43% of stonefly species being extinct, critically imperiled, or vulnerable to extinction.
There is a critical need to protect aquatic invertebrates from the effects of habitat destruction, displacement by introduced species, changing hydrologic regimes, global climate change, and pollution. The Aquatic Program works with scientists; land managers; federal, state and local agencies; and the public to protect at-risk aquatic invertebrates and ensure the overall health of aquatic ecosystems.
Features
Migratory Dragonfly Partnership
Xerces is chairing a newly-formed partnership of dragonfly experts, NGOs, academic institutions, and federal agencies from the United States, Mexico, and Canada working to better understand dragonfly migration in North America and promote conservation of wetland habitat.
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Wetland invertebrate biomonitoring
The Xerces Society is working to conserve wetlands and the animals that depend on them by developing an invertebrate-based tool to evaluate the biological health of wetlands in the Pacific Northwest.
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Xerces is creating a Red List of the most vulnerable aquatic invertebrate species. Our goal is to create awareness and provide conservation tools before these animals decline to a level where recovery is impossible.
The Xerces Society reviewed the use of macroinvertebrates as indicators of stream duration and provided recommendations of macroinvertebrate indicators that could be used to distinguish between perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams in Oregon.
Western freshwater mussels
The status of western freshwater mussels is largely unknown, although eastern freshwater mussels are among the most endangered animals in the U.S. The Xerces Society is working to understand the status of these animals.
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Identification guides
The Xerces Society has published a variety of guides to help identify aquatic invertebrates of streams and wetlands.
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