World’s largest freshwater animal study includes NMU professor

What's happening: Northern Michigan University Biology Emeritus Professor Neil Cumberlidge is one of 20 researchers who co-wrote a groundbreaking article on the ongoing threats to species that call freshwater home. This includes thousands of fish, crab and dragonfly species that face extinction in the next three decades from natural and man-made impacts on habitat for the wildlife. 

Northern Michigan UniversityNeil Cumberlidge The study, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is the largest known study into freshwater fauna ever. The study included scientists from six continents with over 20 years of data and trends. The article was published on January 8th and was covered by some of the largest international journalism organizations worldwide.    

Cumberlidge impact: For NMU’s Cumberlidge, his background in freshwater crustaceans had immediate impact in the study. Whether crabs in Asia or crayfish from local streams and rivers, freshwater crustaceans faced the largest threat of extinction, with 30 percent threatened by changes over the past 20 years. This is almost double the risk to dragonfly species and slightly more than certain freshwater fish. Crabs have long been Cumberlidge’s specialty, starting with marine crabs in England and Scotland. He then shifted to freshwater crabs in West Africa, becoming the pre-eminent African freshwater crab expert. Cumberlidge has helped discover 70 new species of crabs during his career.

What they're saying: “There are over 2,000 species of freshwater crabs in the tropical freshwaters around the world, and many of them are vulnerable to environmental threats,” Cumberlidge said. “Asia has the highest number of threatened freshwater crab species, followed by South America and Africa. In addition, China is perhaps the most significant in terms of needing conservation attention because it harbors the highest number of species of endemic and threatened freshwater crabs in the world.”

What's next: The published study has empowered many conservation specialists across the world, focusing on the impact of freshwater species specifically. Identifying which species are at risk will help larger groups like the international union prioritize efforts and help local governments and organizations to save these species and stabilize their place in ecosystems. A full copy of the published article is available here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08375-.