How can acid rain affect crayfish and clams?

Acid rain negatively impacts crayfish and clam populations by altering the chemistry of their aquatic environments, leading to declines in their overall health and survival.1

The primary ways acid rain affects these organisms include:

• Increased Acidity: Acid deposition causes lakes and streams to become significantly more acidic, particularly in regions with low buffering capacity. This shift in pH can be directly harmful to sensitive aquatic life.12
• Toxic Aluminum Mobilization: Acidification releases aluminum from surrounding soils into the water. In its dissolved form, this metal is toxic to animal life and can damage the biological functions of aquatic organisms.12
• Loss of Biodiversity: As water bodies become more acidic, they lose overall plant and animal diversity. These negative effects can ripple throughout the food chain, disrupting the stability of the entire ecosystem.1
• Episodic Acidification: In colder climates, rapid pulses of acidic meltwater during the spring can be lethal to acid-sensitive organisms, causing sudden, significant stress to populations within the food web.1