Alabama Cave Shrimp

COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION CASE STUDY

Alabama Cave Shrimp

Partners Protect Delicate Cave Habitat

Location: Southeastern

Project Summary: A diverse array of stakeholders rallies to protect a cave-dwelling endangered species smaller than a U.S. penny.

The tiny Alabama cave shrimp is smaller than a U.S. penny. (Photo by Dave Dieter)

Resource Challenge

The Alabama Cave Shrimp is a tiny creature that is nearly transparent and less than an inch long. It lives in ﬂooded underground caverns and pools in caves, where it eats small bits of organic matter. The cave shrimp is found in just two cave systems in Madison County, Alabama, one of which is within the boundaries of the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. It was Federally-listed as an endangered species in 1988. The main threats to its survival are a low reproduction rate and groundwater contamination.

The Redstone Arsenal’s environmental ofﬁce has worked closely with other Federal, state and local authorities, scientists, local educators, homeowners, and the surrounding community to protect Alabama cave shrimp populations on the Army installation and on private lands, as well as potential habitat for populations that might yet be discovered.

Relatively little is known about the shrimp’s biology and habitat needs, making it difﬁcult to prepare a survival and recovery plan. To ﬁll the information gap, the U.S. Department of Defense, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the State of Alabama, local governments, academia, and the scientiﬁc/professional community have surveyed several hundred potential cave habitats and are monitoring cave shrimp populations and water quality on Redstone.

Examples of Key Partners

Local landowners, U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal, FWS, City of Madison, Alabama; Redstone Arsenal Environmental Ofﬁce, City of Huntsville, Alabama; Geological Survey of Alabama, National Speleological Society, and the University of Alabama.

Results and Accomplishments

Protecting Alabama cave shrimp habitat on and off the installation.
Discovered the second known population of Alabama cave shrimp in Herring, Braselton, and Glover caves (considered one cave system) in 1993.
Completed hydrologic modeling for Bobcat Cave and the Herring, Braselton and Glover Caves systems to determine where groundwater in the caves originates.
Assisted in the formation of the Flint River Conservation Association, which has been very active in protecting water quality in the Flint River Watershed where the Herring-Glover Brazelton cave system is located.
Assisted in the formation of the Keel Mountain Homeowners Association, which is actively protecting water quality in the groundwater recharge area for Herring, Braselton and Glover caves.
Helped found the annual Madison County Drinking Water Festival. Thousands of Madison County fourth graders gather at the University of Alabama in Huntsville to learn about protecting area groundwater from pollution.

Innovation/Highlight

Redstone Arsenal’s willingness to forge alliances with Federal and State agencies to develop much needed information about the federally-endangered Alabama cave shrimp

Project Contact

Daniel J. Dunn
Cultural and Natural Resources Branch Chief
Environmental Management Division, Redstone Arsenal. U.S. Army

,
256-876-4572
danny.dunn@redstone.army

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