Conservationists are suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Miami federal court after the Service missed the deadline to add a tiny South Florida crayfish to the endangered species list.
The freshwater crayfish are only found in limestone caves in Miami-Dade County. That’s also where the county and the Keys get some of their drinking water.
But that habitat is now at risk of shrinking because of saltwater intrusion from sea level rise, more intense hurricanes and growing water demands. Half could disappear in just 45 years.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the Center for Biological Diversity, said the FWS is now more than a year behind schedule in proposing a rule to list the crayfish. The center said protecting the crayfish will also help safeguard water supplies.
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