''Stygobromus hayi'' is a rare species of crustacean known by the common name Hay's Spring amphipod. It is endemic to the District of Columbia in the United States, where it occurs only in

Rock Creek Rock Creek or Rockcreek may refer to: Streams United States * Rock Creek (California) * Rock Creek (Fountain Creek tributary), Colorado * Rock Creek (Idaho) * Rock Creek (Kankakee River tributary), Illinois * Rock Creek (Wapsipinicon River tribut ...

, a tributary of the Potomac River.Pavek, D
Urban refuge for rare amphipods in the National Capital Region.
Natural Resource Year in Review 2001. National Park Service. It is a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

, is listed as ''Endangered'' on the IUCN Red List, and as '' Critically Imperiled'' by NatureServe. One of three

amphipod Amphipoda is an order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. Amphipods range in size from and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 9,900 amphipod species so far descr ...

s that are found only in the District of Columbia, this species has been called "Washington D.C.'s most famous endemic."''Stygobromus hayi''.
The Nature Conservancy. Hay's spring amphipod lives in five springs along Rock Creek,Pavek, D
Endemic amphipods in our nation's capital.
''Endangered Species Bulletin'' Jan-Feb 2002. occurrences which make up a single population. All the sites are located in a three-mile stretch of the creek.USFWS
''Stygobromus hayi'' Five-year Review.
December 2007. The amphipod lives in seeps formed when water rises through the substrate and is then trapped just under the ground surface by a clay layer. This amphipod measures in length. Because it lives underground, it is white in color and eyeless. This species is threatened by the degradation of its urban habitat.

Heavy metals upright=1.2, Crystals of osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead Heavy metals are generally defined as ...

have been detected in the area. Other forms of pollution could occur, such as

oil spill An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...

s, sewer leaks, and

fertilizer runoff Agricultural wastewater treatment is a farm management agenda for controlling pollution from confined animal operations and from surface runoff that may be contaminated by chemicals in fertilizer, pesticides, animal slurry, crop residues or irr ...

. Flooding may destroy individuals and remove the microhabitat they inhabit. Construction nearby may damage the creek. Recreational activity next to the creek may increase the likelihood of pollution. Rock Creek Park protects the creeks and its springs. Different agencies monitor the creek and its sensitive species, including this amphipod and its relative, ''

Stygobromus kenki ''Stygobromus kenki'' is a rare species of Amphipoda, amphipod, a crustacean. Its common names include Kenk's amphipod, Rock Creek groundwater amphipod, and Rock Creek stygobromid. This species lives only in Washington, D.C., the Calvert Formati ...

''.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3932458 hayi Crustaceans of the United States Freshwater crustaceans of North America Rock Creek (Potomac River tributary) Natural history of Washington, D.C. IUCN Red List endangered species Crustaceans described in 1940 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot