Rusty crayfish disappearing from some northern Wisconsin lakes — and that’s a good thing

Danny Szydlowski, who is now working on a Ph.D. in freshwater and marine science at UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology, said that the declines could be caused by a fungal disease and by crayfish destroying their own habitat. The result has allowed native plants, snails and bluegill to recover, helping restore the ecosystems in several lakes.