FY2023: Implementing adaptive responses and addressing critical uncertainties for Red Swamp Crayfish in Michigan

FY2023: Implementing adaptive responses and addressing critical uncertainties for Red Swamp Crayfish in Michigan," aims to answer the overarching questions—how insect fitness is influenced by associated microbial communities, how insects interact ecologically with habitat or resource-associated microbes, and how these insights can inform resource management and human health—and provide the conceptual foundation for addressing ecological and management challenges in aquatic systems, including invasive or disruptive aquatic species such as the Red Swamp Crayfish. The work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, translation to human and environmental health applications, and integration of One Health principles through outreach, workshops, and symposia.

The program highlights several implicit strengths. The lab’s concentration in aquatic entomology and ecosystems ecology supports rigorous examination of how crustacean invasion or population shifts might alter microbial communities, nutrient cycling, and broader aquatic food webs. The lab’s emphasis on insect–microbe interactions and microbiome dynamics signals capacity to investigate microbial-mediated pathways by which crayfish influence ecosystem function or potential disease vectors. With experience translating ecological findings into management or public health contexts, the lab is well suited to pursue adaptive response frameworks—iterative, evidence-informed management actions that respond to monitoring and emergent uncertainties—and to identify critical knowledge gaps that constrain decision-making for invasive crayfish in Michigan waters.

The lab’s prior success in securing nationally competitive regional and local grants and producing peer-reviewed publications underpins its capacity to lead such applied research. The project’s alignment with One Health and outreach activities also implies engagement with resource managers, public health practitioners or local communities to share findings and co-develop adaptive strategies.

The lab’s interdisciplinary orientation, commitment to translational research, and experience with applied ecological questions position it to generate science that informs management responses to crayfish-driven ecological change while addressing uncertainties that limit effective decision-making. Specific funding details and project deliverables were not provided in the source material.