BANBURY SPRINGS LIMPET CAPTIVE HOLDING & REARING PROJECT

Project ID: F22AC02206

Federal Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Partner Institution: University of Idaho

Fiscal Year: 2022

Initial Funding: $99,300

Total Funding: $99,300

Abstract:

THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO FUND RESEARCH BY UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO (UI) ON THE BANBURYSPRINGS LIMPET, AN IDAHO ENDEMIC SNAIL KNOWN FROM ONLY FOUR SMALL SPRINGS. THE SPECIES IS EXPERIENCING A GENERAL DECLINE IN ALL POPULATIONS, AND ONE HAS EXPERIENCED DRASTIC DECLINESIN TWO OF ITS THREE KNOWN COLONIES DUE TO DIRECT HUMAN DISTURBANCE. ALMOST NOTHING IS KNOWN ABOUT THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE BANBURY SPRINGS LIMPET, AND THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE THE COLLECTION OF LIMPETS FROM KNOWN POPULATIONS FOR PLACEMENT IN AQUARIA AT THE UI HAGERMANFISH CULTURE EXPERIMENT STATION, WHICH IS LOCATED NEAR POPULATIONS OF THIS SPECIES ANDUTILIZES SPRING WATER FROM THE SAME AQUIFER. THE GOALS OF THIS STUDY ARE THE DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE AQUARIA CONDITIONS (E.G. LIGHT, WATER QUALITY, SUBSTRATE) FOR SURVIVAL ANDMAINTENANCE OF THE SPECIES THE COLLECTION OF HABITAT, SURVIVAL, AND LIFE HISTORY DATA AND, IF BREEDING OCCURS, PROPAGATION. THE AWARD WILL COVER STAFF TIME (PRIMARILY AQUARIA PREPARATION AND MAINTENANCE, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DATA COLLECTION, AND REPORT PREPARATION) AS WELL AS FUNDS TO PURCHASE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT NOT ALREADY OWNED BY THE FACILITY AS WELL AS LAB SUPPLIES TO ENSURE OPTIMAL REARING CONDITIONS AND PRESERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES. AT THE END OF THE AWARD PERIOD, A REPORT DETAILING PROJECT FINDINGS ANDCOPIES O