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A practical study of white‐clawed crayfish ( Austropotamobius pallipes ) mitigation during in‐channel construction works, North‐East England
Author(s) -
Latham Dorian,
Bubb Damian,
Hardy Maria,
Guarnaccio Jon
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/wej.12175
Subject(s) - crayfish , white (mutation) , channel (broadcasting) , fishery , ecology , population , geography , biology , engineering , biochemistry , demography , sociology , electrical engineering , gene
The article provides a unique opportunity to study a large white‐clawed crayfish mitigation exercise on the River Wansbeck, Northumberland in North East England. The translation was necessary to allow the construction of a dam on the river to reduce flood risk to the town of Morpeth. The study provides an assessment of the methodology used for the capture and translocation activities, and provides an insight into the speed of colonisation and population establishment in a 300‐m diversion channel and the structure of translocated populations. Over 3500 + white‐clawed crayfish were caught when the natural channel was dewatered, with 5400 animals removed the following year when the diversion channel was closed. Average density based on the number of white‐clawed crayfish caught was estimated as in excess of 5 per 1 m 2 . The study demonstrates the importance of the River Wansbeck for white‐clawed crayfish.