Stephanie Peay | |
|---|---|
 Stephanie Peay at Pisek crayfish conference. | |
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh University of Hull |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ecology |
| Institutions | University of Leeds |
Stephanie Peay (born 1959) is a British ecologist and crayfish researcher.
Peay studied at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Hull, and in 2014 was awarded a PhD [1] by the University of Leeds. She is a member of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and a Chartered Environmentalist.
In her early professional career, in 1984, she compiled the first draft of the ancient woodland inventory for West Sussex. [2]
After working for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group she worked for Cobham Resource Consultants, later part of the Scott Wilson Group, as an ecological consultant, where her interests in the white clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes and signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus began.
As an independent crayfish researcher her research has concentrated on the protection of the UK native white clawed crayfish and restricting the invasion of the alien signal crayfish.
Peay is a leading proponent of crayfish conservation and management in Britain [3] and has produced much of the guidance on crayfish used by British ecologists and managers on survey and monitoring methods, [4] [5] restoration of habitat, [6] mitigation during works on waterbodies, [7] and, latterly, on "ark sites" to safeguard white-clawed crayfish. [8] She also provides advice and training for organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts, Environment Agency, [6] Scottish Natural Heritage, [9] BBC [10] [11] and others.
As invading signal crayfish are a major threat to native crayfish, both in Britain and in Europe, [12] Peay has studied the effects of signal crayfish on white clawed crayfish and their environment, particularly on native fish stocks, [13] and has researched control and eradication methods. [9]
She represented The Wildlife Trusts on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group for white clawed crayfish, was a board member of the International Association of Astacology and has contributed to the European CRAYNET programme. [14]
In her employment as Associate Director, Ecology with Aecom, Peay had considerable experience of ecological surveys, ecological assessment and management in a range of habitats in the UK on many types of projects, notably in water resources, development roads and airports.
She was a visiting lecturer at the University of Leeds. [15]
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some species are found in brooks and streams, where fresh water is running, while others thrive in swamps, ditches, and paddy fields. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species, such as Procambarus clarkii, are hardier. Crayfish feed on animals and plants, either living or decomposing, and detritus.
The signal crayfish is a North American species of crayfish. It was introduced to Europe in the 1960s to supplement the North European Astacus astacus fisheries, which were being damaged by crayfish plague, but the imports turned out to be a carrier of that disease. The signal crayfish is now considered an invasive species across Europe, Japan, and California, ousting native species there.
Astacus astacus, the European crayfish, noble crayfish, or broad-fingered crayfish, is the most common species of crayfish in Europe, and a traditional food source. Like other true crayfish, A. astacus is restricted to fresh water, living only in unpolluted streams, rivers, and lakes. It is found from France throughout Central Europe, to the Balkan Peninsula, and north as far as Scandinavia and Finland, and Eastern Europe. Males may grow up to 16 cm long, and females up to 12 cm.
Pontastacus leptodactylus, the Danube crayfish, Galician crayfish, Turkish crayfish or narrow-clawed crayfish, is a relatively large and economically important species of crayfish native to fresh and brackish waters in eastern Europe and western Asia, mainly in the Pontic–Caspian region, among others including the basins of the Black Sea, and the Danube, Dnieper, Don and Volga rivers, as well as aquatic systems in Turkey. It has spread widely beyond its native range, beginning in the 1700s when it spread via canals constructed in western Russia and since the 1900s through introducions to many regions for human consumption. Today it is widespread throughout much of Europe.
Astacidae is a family of freshwater crayfish native to Europe, western Asia and western North America. The family is made up of four extant (living) genera: The genera Astacus, Pontastacus, and Austropotamobius are all found throughout Europe and parts of western Asia, while Pacifastacus is native to western United States and British Columbia, but has also been introduced elsewhere.
Pacifastacus fortis is an endangered crayfish species endemic to Shasta County, California, where it is found only in isolated spots on the Pit River and Fall River Mills. The exact subpopulations for the Shasta crayfish were discovered in 2004 through a genetic study that determined three different genetic clusters: Crystal Lake, the Big Lake group, and Thousand Springs.
Austropotamobius pallipes is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish.
The Candover Brook is a 9.6 km (6.0 mi) chalk stream in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Itchen, which it joins near the town of New Alresford. The stream rises from springs just to the south of the village of Preston Candover.
Greenlee Lough is a lough or lake and national nature reserve 3 miles (5 km) north of Bardon Mill, and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the B6318 road in Northumberland, northern England.
The River Gowan is a short river in Cumbria, running easterly through the village of Ings before joining the River Kent at Staveley.
The Owens pupfish is a rare species of fish in the family Cyprinodontidae, the pupfish. It is endemic to California in the United States, where it is limited to the Owens Valley. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States. This pupfish is up to 5 centimetres long, the largest males sometimes longer. The male is blue-gray, turning bright blue during spawning. The female is greenish brown with a silvery or whitish belly.
Austropotamobius torrentium, also called the stone crayfish, is a European species of freshwater crayfish in the family Astacidae. It is mostly found in tributaries of the Danube, having originated in the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula.
Dowdeswell Reservoir and former water treatment works lie below the parish of Dowdeswell in Gloucestershire. They were originally built by Cheltenham Corporation to supply the town of Cheltenham with drinking water and subsequently became part of the Severn Trent network.
The River Mease is a lowland clay river in the Midlands area of England. It flows through the counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire and forms the administrative border between these counties for parts of its length.
Faxonius immunis is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is native to North America and it is an introduced species in Europe, where it lives along the Upper Rhine. Its common names include calico crayfish and papershell crayfish.
Crayfish are eaten all over the world. Like other edible crustaceans, only a small portion of the body of a crayfish is edible. In most prepared dishes, such as soups, bisques and étouffées, only the tail portion is served. At crawfish boils or other meals where the entire body of the crayfish is presented, other portions, such as the claw meat, may be eaten.
Carrickaport lough is a freshwater lake in Kiltubrid parish, south County Leitrim, Ireland. Drumcong village, and Lough Scur, lie nearby. Carrickaport lough is known for quality bream and pike fishing. The ecology of Carrickaport lough, and other county waterways, is threatened by curly waterweed, zebra mussel, and freshwater clam invasive species.
Keshcarrigan Lough is a mesotrophic freshwater lake near Keshcarrigan in County Leitrim, Ireland. Known for quality coarse fishing, the lake allows bank fishing from concrete stands on the northern shore, two with wheelchair access. The ecology of Keshcarrigan Lough, and other county waterways, is threatened by curly waterweed, zebra mussel, and freshwater clam invasive species.
Austropotamobius bihariensis is a species of crayfish in the family Astacidae. It is known to exist only in Romania being restricted to the rivers in the western Apuseni Mountains. Its proposed English common name is idle crayfish. It is supposed to have diverged/split ~15 Ma old from a common relative of A. torrentium from the Dinarides and evolved isolated due to the historically tectonic north-eastern movement of Tisza-Dacia mega-unit through the Pannonian Basin, during the Miocene. The molecular divergence in 582 base length nucleotides of COI mtDNA sequences is supported by 43 mutational steps, a differentiation of 7.4% from the sister clade of A. torrentium located in north-western Dinarides
Richard Chadd was a British ecologist and biologist.
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