On August 29, more than 1,000 American eels will be released into Pickering Creek near Yellow Springs in Chester County in the hope they will help control populations of an invasive species of crayfish, known as the virile crayfish.
The virile crayfish populations impact both native crayfish populations and the macroinvertebrate community at large, posing a threat to biodiversity, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Scientists have noted that even small numbers of eels can eliminate the invasive species of crayfish, while native crayfish have shown they can coexist beside eels.
The health of the creek will be monitored along several sites where the eels are released. As eels eventually depart on an incredible journey out to the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic for reproduction, a variety of sizes of eels will be introduced in Pickering, so that their full impact can be judged.
The project is a unique partnership between the Delaware Riverkeeper Network and a variety of nonprofits and government agencies, including the Western PA Conservancy, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Green Valleys Watershed Association.
The reintroduction will be held at 11:00 a.m. at Historic Yellow Springs, 1685 Art School Road in Chester Springs, Chester County. Questions should be directed to Maya van Rossum, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, 215-801-3043.
(Photo: American eels, LancasterOnline.com.)
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