News / floating harbour
Critically endangered eel and Atlantic mackerel found in Bristol waterways
Bristol’s waterways have a surprising amount of rare wildlife, a new study has found.
As part of the council’s work on fish recovery, the pilot study looked at the Floating Harbour and the River Avon using environmental DNA – known as eDNA – a technique used to identify the species and communities of fish.
It found that European eel, Atlantic herring, Atlantic salmon, European plaice, brown trout, Atlantic mackerel, Dover sole and sea lamprey were all found in the Avon and the docks.
is needed now More than ever
All these species are listed as threatened and require conservation according to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
eDNA techniques are a much quicker and more effective method of tracking species populations compared to traditional observation-based methods.
Small samples of river matter are collected, and an analysis of the organic matter indicates which species have been present in that area. Scientists hope that the data will allow them to easily monitor change over time to see which species need the most protection.
The study was part of Bristol City Council’s One City Ecological Emergency Strategy (OCEES) which aims “for all waterways to have excellent water quality which supports healthy wildlife”, and was conducted by Bristol Avon Rivers Trust in partnership with the council.
Despite the positive study, mayor Marvin Rees stressed that species that make up the ecosystem for the River Avon are still under threat due to the ongoing climate crisis.
Freshwater species populations, such as those that live in rivers, are declining at twice the rate of populations that live in marine terrestrial environments.
The data will be used to identify areas within the Floating Harbour and the Avon which would benefit from protection, rehabilitation, and improvement of aquatic habitat.
In October, Rees announced a project which would see the a new pontoon on the Floating Harbour at Capricorn Quay.
The new pontoon would create reed beds that would form 1000 square metres of habitat – improving water quality, supporting stronger fish stocks and providing a haven for birds.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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