Bodnar, Wanda; Colclough, Stephen; Pryor, Amy; (2024) Fish utilisation of bioengineered intertidal habitats in the Thames Estuary. The London Naturalist , 103 pp. 94-112. 10.5281/zenodo.13792104.

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Abstract

Over the past two centuries the floodplain of the Thames Estuary has been progressively encroached upon or reclaimed, leading to the depletion of intertidal habitats such as saltmarshes, seagrass beds and mudflats. This loss of intertidal habitats is believed to negatively impact fish populations, likely attributable to the declining availability of suitable nursery grounds. In response to this ongoing habitat loss, modern riverside developments along the Thames now incorporate setbacks from the estuary's edge to help facilitate the establishment of intertidal habitats, thereby improving the environment for fish and other wildlife. Fauna surveys conducted from 2017 to 2023 revealed favourable results for these bioengineered intertidal habitats, affirming their effectiveness in serving as nursery areas especially for juvenile fish species such as Common Goby, European Seabass and the critically endangered European Eel. The current scientific understanding of fish utilisation of these bioengineered intertidal habitats should actively guide the planning and creation of new sites and the potential modification of existing ones, especially considering the ongoing loss of intertidal habitats in the UK.

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