25 Sep 2024

Rock-hugging river jelly lichen (Lathagrium dichotomum) has been found thriving along the River Sprint, marking a significant boost for local water quality. River jelly lichen is a species that won’t compromise on habitat conditions, and they will only live in the cleanest of waters. The discovery, made by teams from the Environment Agency during a […]

13 Sep 2023

That is the finding of biologists at Goethe University Frankfurt, who say effluents from wastewater treatment plants have a dual effect: some species disappear, while others increase in number. The impact of effluent is especially noticeable with certain insect species, such as stonefly and caddisfly larvae, which are decimated. By contrast, certain worms and crustaceans, […]

22 Jan 2023

From the BBC A flurry of shark species have been caught in the River Mersey estuary as anglers recorded a huge surge in fish populations. Smooth-hound, starry smooth-hound and bull huss sharks were all found in stretches between Howley Weir in Warrington and Perch Rock, Wirral. The sharks were among 37 fish species recorded by […]

05 May 2020

From the Guardian, 20 April This is the peak season for the arrival of what is hoped will be millions of glass eels swimming up Britain’s estuaries to reach fresh waters where they can grow into adults. The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a curious creature with a complex lifestyle that is still barely understood. […]

23 Apr 2019

The focus of this year’s World Earth Day (22 April) has been ‘Protect Our Species’. This is in response to the destruction of plant and wildlife populations by climate change, deforestation, poaching and pollution. If you’re in London, there is an ongoing series of events at Somerset House. Water Saving Week runs from April 29th […]