Photo pollution and its impact on Procambarus clarkia

Olivia Provost, Cameron Hudson, Shanila Huerta, Kaela S. Singleton

Agnes Scott College, Department of Biology, Class of 2022 

Crayfish, Procambarus clarkia, are a keystone species, meaning they play an  important role in the ecosystem they are part of. Their presence is a indicates habitat  health and promotes biodiversity. Because of this, they are an effective model organism  to study climate change. This experiment focuses on the issue of urbanization and how  it affects nearby communities. One of the problems is light pollution caused by artificial  light from these buildings and man-made projects. This study investigates the effect of  light pollution on crayfish activity, since they are most active at night. The hypothesis is  that there will be a change in their behavior when light pollution is introduced. In order to  simulate light pollution in a lab setting, one tank will be moved into a room with a lamp  on at all times and one tank will experience regular dark/light cycles in the lab. During  the day we will video record and catalog their behavior using ethological frequency  analysis. We will use a linear regression to determine if there is a relationship between  light pollution and activity. This study could have larger implications since crayfish are  so important to their communities. Understanding the relationship between light  pollution and crayfish activity could help us understand what is happening to larger  freshwater ecosystems in order to better protect them.