Investigation of the first recent crayfish plague outbreak in Ireland and its subsequent spread in the Bruskey River and surrounding areas

Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems

Brady Daniel¹  Nelson Brian²  Reynolds Julian³  Morrissey Teresa⁴  Cheslett Deborah⁵  White Samantha⁵  Gammell Martin⁶  Graham Conor T.⁶  Lally Heather⁶  Mirimin Luca⁶  Minto Cóilín⁶  Slattery Orla⁶ 

[1] Department of Biology, University of Padova;Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, National Parks and Wildlife Service;Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin;Irish Farmers Association, Irish Farm Centre;Marine Institute, Rinville, Co.;Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Department of Natural Resources & the Environment, School of Science and Computing, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology;

关键词: austropotamobius pallipes;    aphanomyces astaci;    crayfish plague;    environmental dna;    ireland;   

DOI  :  10.1051/kmae/2022011

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

White-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) is a keystone species found in western European freshwater bodies, where it has suffered drastic declines due to pathogens, competition with non-indigenous crayfish species (NICS) and habitat deterioration. In Ireland, populations of (naturalised) A. pallipes have been considered healthy and abundant mainly because no diseases or NICS have been reported in the past decades. The present study investigated a sudden mass mortality event that occurred in the Erne catchment in 2015. Molecular analysis confirmed that the cause of the event was infection by the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci (the causative agent of the crayfish plague). While in 2015 the spread of the pathogen appeared to remain confined to the outbreak’s epicentre and nearby upstream waters, follow up surveys using conventional methods and environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches indicated that by a year later (2016), the pathogen was still present and had spread downstream beyond Lough Gowna. No NICS were detected during the surveys conducted. This crayfish plague outbreak is of grave concern to Irish white-clawed crayfish and associated ecosystems.

【 授权许可】

Unknown