On November 7–8, an international conference entitled Function and Threats of Mussels, Snails, and Crayfish in the River Ecosystem took place in northern Germany, in the town of Criewen, on the borders of the Unteres Odertal National Park. The conference was organised by the Brandenburg Academy Schloss Criewen, the Institute of Inland Fisheries e.V. Potsdam-Sacrow, and the Stuttgart Museum of Natural History.
Martin Bláha attended, representing the faculty with an invited lecture entitled: Native and non-native crayfish species in the Czech Republic: Case studies of the (un)successful management of two invasive species populations. He was one of four presenters focusing on crayfish, as most contributions were focused on highly endangered large mussels, including the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) and the thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus). Colleagues from universities and research institutes in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, as well as representatives from state agencies, shared their experiences in monitoring, reintroducing, and maintaining populations of these large mussels. The conference also served as a reminder of the massive ecological disaster in 2022, when the overgrowth of the algae Prymnesium parvumand its toxins led to the drastic die-off of fish, large mussels, and other organisms in the lower Oder River.
The conference atmosphere was very friendly, with exciting topics and opportunities for collaboration with similarly research-oriented institutions discussed during coffee breaks and free time.
