More than 100 years ago, crayfish were introduced into Oregon’s Crater Lake; today they occupy 95% of the shoreline and its unique newt is disappearing |
The Mazama newt is a salamander found only in Crater Lake (Image: Oregon Zoo) More than a century ago, people introduced signal crayfish into Oregon’s Crater Lake as food for nonnative trout and salmon. The decision was made in 1915, decades before scientists understood how dramatically the crustaceans could reshape the lake’s ecosystem. Today, the…
