Mr Angus Monaghan1, Dr Graham Sellers1, Dr Nathan Griffiths1,3, Dr Lori Lawson Handley1, Dr Bernd Hänfling1,3, Mr James Macarthur1,3, Dr Rosalind Wright2, Dr Jonathan Bolland1
1University Of Hull, Kingston Upon Hull, United Kingdom, 2Environment Agency, United Kingdom, 3University of the Highland and Islands, Inverness, United Kingdom
Biography:
Angus is a PhD student at Hull University, l work in Hull International Fisheries Institute and EvoHull Evolutionary and Environmental Genomics Group. His PhD is part of the REDEEM project working to mitigate entrainment of eels and other fish at water intakes. Angus completed a master’s degree in crustacean behaviour and physiology at Hull University before starting his PhD which is focused on using eDNA to understand freshwater eel distribution in relation to migratory barriers. He has also worked on the Eeltrack project trapping and tagging European eels in the Azores archipelago to track their migration to the sargasso sea.
Abstract:
In response to the European eel's (Anguilla anguilla) recent population decline and critically endangered status, the European Commission Regulation No. 1100/2007 mandates safe downstream eel passage at hazardous intakes, such as pumping stations, despite considerable costs. Pumping stations are a significant threat to seaward migration of spawning stage eels. Additionally, pumping stations impede upstream migration, and many regulated structures may lack upstream eel populations. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers a more effective, practical and non-invasive alternative to traditional fish sampling, providing comprehensive vertebrate community data. From May 2021 to September 2023, four eDNA metabarcoding sampling campaigns were conducted across 144 pumping station catchments in the Anglian Fens, UK, detecting eels in 43 (30%) of them. Eel presence correlated with better connectivity to the main river channel and higher fish species richness with a significantly higher fish species richness at eel-positive sites (p<0.01). Remote sensing, physical habitat data, and questionnaires from land managers are being integrated with eDNA data to assess habitat suitability for eels and quantify suitable habitat in each catchment. These findings are guiding the prioritisation of pumping stations for "fish-friendly" downstream passage modifications and upstream passage remediation for juvenile eels. The UK Environment Agency will modify structures in accordance with this prioritisation to provide Best Available Eel Protection across the Fens, ensuring effective allocation of funds. The extensive eDNA sampling effort of the project has also provided insight into rare/invasive species distribution in the fens.