1. Freshwater Matters
What’s happening at the FBA?
An Algal Update
In the last few months, thanks to volunteer Brenda Leese, we have checked and
digitised all the sheets in the Fritsch Collection of Algal Illustrations for just one
diatom genus and twelve closely related genera.
That doesn’t sound much but there were 376 species and 725 sheets. In the
genus Fragilaria we have 60% of the type figures and many original diagnoses;
others are new combinations or new names and types maybe included elsewhere.
Some sheets were corrected, mainly as incorrect authorities were given by later
authors (carelessness followed by that old game of ‘Chinese whispers’!), or
repaired (finding loose fragments in the file requires detective work!). This is a
reminder that the use of algal names still requires care.
We now have a system for digitizing any of the algal sheets instead of xerox
copying and posting, so brief requests are welcome and there will be a small
charge; please contact Dr Elizabeth Haworth, Fritsch Collection Curator
(ehaworth@fba.org.uk).
FBA Bespoke Training Courses
Alongside our programmed courses (the 2014 course programme is currently
being planned and should be out early Autumn), we can also offer flexible and
tailored tuition to suit your aquatic training needs. Whether this be any of the
types of training listed as part of our course programme, but at a time and
venue to suit you, or in another subject entirely, we can design and deliver an
appropriate course.
Some of the subjects we can cover are: subterranean freshwater fauna; electron
microscopy; fish health; fish scale ageing and interpretation; RIVPACS/RICT;
September 2013
Freshwater Matters is a monthly electronic bulletin of the most recent
freshwater news from around the world, compiled by the Freshwater Biological
Association (FBA). It includes updates of what is happening at the FBA and ways
to get involved.
Contents
What’s happening at the FBA?
This month’s articles
Worst summer in two decades for salmon fishing
Iraq creates first National Park
Freshwater creatures less affected by dino-killing asteroid
Endangered eels to be given special chutes into Windermere in bid to halt decline
Smithsonian scientists use rare fossils to catch up to speedy snail evolution
River health revealed in birds’ eggs
Loss of marshland threatens rare bat species
Ecosystems change long before species are lost
Mountaintop mining pollution has distinct chemical signatures
Testicle-Biting fish may be invading Denmark

2. phytoplankton identification, CPET, macroinvertebrates to mixed taxon
level; introduction to macroinvertebrate identification and sampling methods
(Derry); Diptera identification; introduction to common macrophytes and non-
native aquatic plants; and data management and curation. We can also arrange
a variety of other freshwater and generic-skills based training not listed here, so
please contact us with your specific requirements.
The FBA has sites in Dorset and Windermere or we can come to you, with dates
and times arranged for your convenience.
To discuss bespoke training options, please contact us: events@fba.org.uk; 01539
442468.
Book now!
There are a number of autumn courses in the 2013 programme, and there are
currently still places available on the following: River InVertebrate Prediction And
Classification System (RIVPACS)/River Invertebrate Classification Tool (RICT)
bioassesment training (1-2 October); Freshwater fish: assessment of condition
and ageing (15 October); Fish health, parasites and disease (16 October); and
Invertebrate identification for biotic assessment (including examination) (22-24
October).
Please contact us for further details or to book a place: events@fba.org.uk; 01539
442468.
And finally...A big thank you to Louise
We would like to say a big thank you to Louise for the work she has done on the
newsletter over the past 7 years, and we wish her all the best for her maternity
leave.
This month’s articles
Worst summer in two decades for salmon fishing
The July heat wave has been bad news for anglers, with the Environment Agency
reporting that nearly 50,000 fish have died due to plummeting oxygen levels
as waters warm. The weather has also resulted in the temporary closure of
many salmon fisheries as many fish remain in the estuaries rather than running
upstream.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/10226359/Worst-summer-in-two-
decades-for-salmon-fishing.html
Iraq creates first National Park
Iraq’s Council of Ministers has approved the designation of the Mesopotamian
Marshes as the country’s first National Park. In the 1990’s the marshes, which
were once the third largest wetland in the world, were practically destroyed.
However, since the downfall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, efforts have been
ongoing to re-flood and restore the marshes to their former glory.
http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46275
Freshwater creatures less affected by dino-killing asteroid
A study published this month in the Journal of Geophysical Research—
Biogeosciences suggests that freshwater creatures may have been at an
advantage when the asteroid that wiped the dinosaurs out hit the earth 65 million
years ago. Many freshwater creatures are adapted to freeze-thaw cycles and times
of low oxygen and so were able to survive the period after the impact, leading to
much lower extinction rates than were seen in other habitats.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130723-chicxulub-asteroid-
dinosaurs-freshwater-survival-extinction/
Endangered eels to be given special chutes into Windermere in bid to halt
decline
Bristly boards that help young eels negotiate barriers are being installed in the
River Leven in an effort to help the eel population in Windermere recover, and

3. helping the conservation of a species that is in sharp decline. The scheme
is part of a bigger project that has seen local children raise young eels in the
classroom before releasing them back to the wild.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/endangered-eels-given-special-
chutes-2152181
Smithsonian scientists use rare fossils to catch up to speedy snail
evolution
A study of snails in Lake Malawi sheds new light on why species may struggle
to cope with environmental change. Scientists from the Smithsonian compared
changes in present day freshwater snails with the same species in the fossil
record. They found that despite rapidly changing conditions in the lake, there has
been little change in the morphology of the species.
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=64393#.UhM4ZZJwpMU
River health revealed in birds’ eggs
River pollution remains a serious problem in the UK’s former industrial areas
according to a study that examined chemicals in the eggs of Eurasian Dippers. The
report, published in Environmental Science and Technology, found several types
of pollutants, including some no longer produced, were at levels high enough to
be damaging.
http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=1506
Loss of marshland threatens rare bat species
The loss of the UK’s marshlands is leading to a dramatic decline in the Grey Long-
Eared Bat according to a report published by the Bat Conservation Trust. The trust
warns that with as few as 1000 individuals left in the wild unless something is
done to restore the habitats the species could be lost.
http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46303
Ecosystems change long before species are lost
Using dragonflies and diving beetles, a study published this month in Nature
Communications demonstrates that altering the population structure of species
can have profound implications for the entire ecosystem.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130813134521.htm
Mountaintop mining pollution has distinct chemical signatures
Mountaintop mining activities have a distinct chemical signature that allows
scientists to identify the source of pollution. The study, published in Environmental
Science and Technology, demonstrated that it was possible to differentiate
pollution from three mountaintop mines and so trace impacts back to the source
providing a potential tool with which to enforce regulations.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130815133604.htm
Testicle-Biting fish may be invading Denmark
The summer silly season is upon us, but swimmers in Denmark might be thinking
twice before cooling off with a quick dip after a fisherman netted what is believed
to be a South American Pacu. The fish has a powerful bite, usually used for
crushing fruit and nuts falling from the forest canopy. However, in Papua New
Guinea, where the species is invasive, the fish has a more fearsome reputation.
http://news.yahoo.com/testicle-biting-fish-may-invading-denmark-165855557.
html
Please forward this bulletin to any of your colleagues who may be
interested!