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New web platform provides global mapping of freshwater crayfish and pathogens

Freshwater crayfish, keystone species of aquatic ecosystems, are now at the center of a new tool that promises to revolutionize conservation efforts. World of Crayfish (WoC), a newly launched web platform, aims to provide real-time global mapping of freshwater crayfish and their pathogens, offering an invaluable resource for researchers, conservationists, and environmental stakeholders.

Published in PeerJ, the article, "World of Crayfish: A web platform towards real-time global mapping of freshwater crayfish and their pathogens," highlights the urgent need for accurate, up-to-date data on crayfish distribution. As one of the largest macroinvertebrates, freshwater crayfish play a crucial role in the ecosystems they inhabit. However, understanding their global distribution has been historically difficult due to a lack of consistent, accessible, and reliable data.

The World of Crayfish platform addresses this issue by creating a publicly accessible database that aggregates expert-sourced distributional data on crayfish and their associated pathogens, including Aphanomyces astaci, the agent responsible for crayfish plague. This plague has caused devastating ecological impacts globally. The platform operates in near real-time and is designed to support future technical enhancements.

Key features of the World of Crayfish platform include:

• Expert-Driven Data: Sourced from scientific publications, data reports, and museum collections, with 98.5% of the current data being peer-reviewed.
• Biodiversity Conservation: The platform's advanced functionality provides a critical step forward in conservation planning and ecosystem management, with a focus on crayfish species worldwide.
• Genetic Data Integration: A repository of DNA sequences related to crayfish species, including GenBank accession codes for CO1, 16S, and other genetic markers, is readily accessible for genetic studies and biogeographical research.
• Continuously Improving: Designed to support seamless interaction for users at various technical levels, with planned future enhancements that will leverage artificial intelligence for data analysis, interpretation, and reporting.

The World of Crayfish platform envisions a future where experts can collaboratively populate and refine the database, creating a hub for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biological sciences and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

"World of Crayfish is more than just a data repository; it represents a new era in biodiversity conservation," said the development team. "By bringing together experts from various fields and enabling real-time data updates, we hope to facilitate a more effective approach to managing and conserving freshwater ecosystems."