Aquatic Conservation
Invertebrates live in every type of aquatic habitat, from streams and seeps to marshes and lakes. Aquatic invertebrates such as stoneflies, mayflies, mussels, and midges play critical roles in sustaining healthy aquatic ecosystems, and are at the center of the aquatic food web. The winged adult forms of many aquatic insects also provide a huge amount of the food for terrestrial birds, bats, and reptiles. Aquatic invertebrates and the habitats that sustain them are seriously imperiled. In the United States, over half of the wetlands that existed in the 1600s have been lost, and a recent nationwide stream survey found pesticides or their degradates in all the streams sampled. The Aquatic Conservation program works to protect aquatic invertebrates and the ecosystems that sustain them.
Current Projects
Our Work
Check out some of the work the aquatic team has been doing!
Upcoming Events
Migratory Dragonfly Short Course – White River Junction, Vermont
Saturday, June 8th, 2013
10:00 am – 4:30 pm EDT
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
White River Junction, VT
This course is intended for anyone interested in dragonflies and in contributing to our growing knowledge about dragonfly migration in North America. Whether you are a novice or a pro when it comes to dragonflies, please join us for this fun and informative event to become a volunteer citizen science monitor and help us explore the amazing but understudied phenomenon of dragonfly migration!
Registration is closed. Please Click here for more information and contact dragonfly@xerces.org to add your name to the wait list for this short course.
Additional Migratory Dragonfly Short Courses 2013
Future Migratory Dragonfly Short Courses are currently in the planning stages for select locations throughout North America. Please check back soon for more details about upcoming course locations, dates, and registration details.
The objective of these one-day events is to train participants to identify key migratory species and contribute data to ongoing MDP citizen science projects.
