Perspectives on invasive species control: lessons from Hungary’s first red swamp crayfish removal day (Crustacea: Decapoda)
Abstract
Biological invasions are among the most significant ecological challenges of the 21st century. One of the most notorious invertebrate freshwater invaders in Europe is Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), the red swamp crayfish native to North America. In this study, we organized a large-scale citizen science crayfish removal event in Békásmegyer, Budapest, Hungary, involving local residents in specimen collection using a novel, standardized protocol. In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of the method and engaging the public, we aimed to calculate allometric growth based on field-collected morphological data and to explore further research perspectives arising from such initiatives. Based on the analysis of the 1,194 specimens collected, we found the collection protocol to be highly effective and suitable for further removal events. Over 150 local participants were able to join the collection and follow the protocol, while trained volunteers could measure large-scale biotic data between sampling phases. Our results revealed negative allometric growth in both sexes of P. clarkii, suggesting suboptimal habitat conditions and raising further questions about the studied population. Overall, we conclude that citizen science-based removal events could serve as a valuable supplement to professional habitat management efforts.
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