When dozens of baby Slough Crayfish hatched in the sealed system, the lakeshore vegetation became the deciding factor in their survival. Small enough to slip into the dense plant margin, the juveniles could access food that adult crayfish couldn't reach. Most won't make it to adulthood, but while they forage in the shallows they function as a nutrient transport layer, pulling energy from the lakeshore edge and cycling it back into the deeper food web as they grow and are consumed. The lakeshore isn't just habitat here. It's part of how the system moves nutrients.
