DANUBEcare team members, Prof. Dr. Senka Popović and Dr. Nevena Hromiš, participated in the 12th European Symposium on Biopolymers (ESBP 2025) held in Lisboa, Portugal! The symposium provided an excellent opportunity to present the research results arising from the DANUBEcare project and to connect with experts in the field of biopolymers and sustainable materials.
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DANUBEcare project proposes a comprehensive and systematic collection of knowledge on the distribution of invasive alien species (IAS) such as spiny-cheek crayfish Faxonius limosus in the Danube River and application of different solutions in the form of eco-products for a sustainable future, aiming to prevent the biodiversity loss.
The Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 2019, prepared by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) identified IAS as one of the five top direct drivers of biodiversity loss, pointing to one of the most significant threats for humanity in the next decade. Considering that F. limosus is one of the most important aquatic invaders in European inland waters, prevention, control and eradication of this species represent the greatest challenge in the field of biodiversity maintenance.
The project aims to manage the spiny-cheek by transforming this invasive species into a variety of eco-products, aligning with the concept ZERO WASTE. These eco-products include food made from spiny-cheek crayfish meat for human/pet consumption, an adsorbent for removing heavy metal ions from wastewater, rubber products filled with crayfish shell powder, and chitosan-based biomaterials made from shell powder.
The DANUBEcare project represents state-of-the-art research and innovation that may be applicable to other IAS. Moreover, the DANUBEcare project includes several actions aiming to familiarize and promote citizen-scientists through their role as consumers for sensory evaluation of newly developed products, surveys, and use of the “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” Web App, which allows citizens to report sightings of IAS of Union Concern. The project activities will also support the transfer of knowledge across scientific institutions, industry and a wider community, even at the European level.
Development of valuable products with spiny-cheek crayfish meat intended for human and pet consumption
The main objectives of WP2 are to determine safety parameters, technological quality, nutritive value and sensory properties of spiny-cheek crayfish meat. Obtained data will be used to develop new products formulated with spiny-cheek crayfish meat intended for human/pet consumption.
Distribution and sampling of spiny-cheek crayfish
The objective of WP1 is to gather new and deepen existing knowledge on the distribution and abundance of spiny-cheek crayfish F. limosus, as well as its influence on the native crayfish fauna in the upper part of the Danube flow through the Republic of Serbia. It will encompass collecting samples from selected localities along the river course of the Danube. Furthermore, the Danube water and sediment quality at sampling sites will be examined.
From sources to innovative sustainable materials for packaging application
The objectives of WP4 are to develop and optimize an adequate chitosan extraction process from F. limosus shell and to use this biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, and biologically active material for edible active packaging production. The activities included in this WP aim to test the potential application of the shell waste: as a source for chitosan-based active biopolymer material synthesis and characterization.
Crayfish shell waste as an alternative for sustainable water and wastewater treatment
The objectives of WP3 are to develop industrially relevant, innovative solutions for the valorisation of F. limosus shell. The activities included in this WP aim at testing the potential application of the shell waste: as a source of nutrients and minerals for animal feed, as well as biosorbent for heavy metal ions removal from wastewater and as a rubber bio-filler.
The Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 2019, prepared by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) identified Invasive Alien Species, as one of the five top direct drivers of biodiversity loss, pointing to one of the most significant threats for humanity in the next decade.
F. limosus is a native species to Eastern North America but has been recorded so far in more than 20 European countries and listed as IAS of Union concern. Considering that F. limosus is one of the most important aquatic invaders in European inland waters, prevention, control and eradication of this species represent the greatest challenge in the field of biodiversity maintenance.
The main methodological approaches that will be used in different phases of the proposed project will reduce the negative impact of F. limosus on the Danube ecosystem.
Methodological approaches to be used intend to preserve biodiversity, turning the acquired knowledge into a variety of eco-products, in line with the concept of ZERO WASTE. The concept will significantly contribute to the formation of an ecological concept of the circular economy.
Following the main objectives of the project, the DANUBEcareˈs realization will achieve a multiple and multilevel impact on an inclusive basis. The project activities will support the transfer of knowledge across scientific institutions, industry and a wider community, even at the European level.
A multidisciplinary approach to this problem will enhance sustainability that attempts to bridge science with citizens and environmental science with the technology of the future. Therefore, the project will raise awareness about the challenges posed by invasive species and educate various target groups including the scientific community, industry, policymakers and the general public, about the possible consequences of their overpopulation. This effort is a crucial step towards achieving a permanent and systemic solution.
Additionally, the negative impact of the spiny-cheek crayfish F. limosus on the native crayfish populations in Europe is expressed in competition for habitats, in which the invader is more adaptive, it is a carrier of crayfish plague, lethal for the European native crayfish, and can destabilize riverbanks, and modify other habitats, due to its burrowing behavior causing substantial economic damage. Generally, the economic damage caused by IAS could cost Europe billions of euros per year and damage costs are continuing to rise.
Fast dispersal rate, along with adverse effects on native crayfish species, in particular, native crayfish Astacus Astacus and Astacus leptodactylus, found at most sites associated with F. limosus, suggest that urgent measures are needed in order to prevent further dispersion of this invasive species. The project endeavour to identify the level of invasion for improving prevention and to prioritize control of F. limosus, that represent a threat for native species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. According to available data, Astacus Astacus and Astacus leptodactylus, native crayfish species in the Danube River Basin, are listed as vulnerable and the least concern on the IUCN Red List, respectively.
