SEPA update, February 2016

Alistair Duguid

Outline• River Basin Planning update• Barriers• Loch classification tool• eDNA

River basin management plans

• Plan for the Scotland river basin district now published at www.sepa.org.uk/water/river-basin-management-planning

• 44-page document, supported by appendices and an online data tool.

• Identifies where water bodies are affected by fish barriers, changes to physical condition, pollution, changes to flows, or invasive species.

• Sets out actions and objectives to protect and improve the water environment.

• The plan acknowledges that there are areas where more information is needed

Water environment hub

Fish barrier update

• Artificial barriers to fish migration are a top priority for the 2nd RBMP

• Now at the point of spending significant resources and need confidence in our assessments

• Need for improved information on natural limits to migration upstream of weirs and dams• Priority list developed for checking• Smartphone app to improve

information

http://www.river-obstacles.org.uk/

Loch classification

• Classification tool now developed for gillnet data

• Measures the response to nutrient pressures (TP gradient)

• NORDIC gillnet methodology• 35 lochs, wide range of sites

(MSS, SEPA SNH, Stirling Uni)• Method provides 2 results• Rule based classification• Quantitative EQR based

classification• SFINX (?)

Can we use eDNA to assess fish?• Gillnetting is expensive, time consuming,

destructive, biased and unpopular• SEPA pilot project with RZSS has shown that shed

DNA can be identified in water samples• Follow up project underway with EA, CEH &

University of Hull1: Comparing DNA traces in water samples with alternative data (gillnetting & hydroacoustic)2: Assessing sampling requirements- spatial and temporal variability

SamplingWindermere:•Offshore (70 sites)

• 5 m - transect• 20 m - transect• Midline - transect

depth profile:surfacemid-waterbottom

• Gill net sites

•Shore (40 sites)

Loch Osgaig:

• offshore (10 sites)• shore (10 sites)

Key results: species presence

Previously (ever) recorded species (16) 12S: 14 (88%)Cytb: 12 (75%)Gill netting survey 2014: 4 (25%)

Common

brea

m*Eel

Stone l

oach

Bullhe

ad*

Pike*

3-spin

ed S

B

River la

mprey

Perch*

Sea la

mprey

Minnow

*

Roach

*

Salmon

Brown t

rout*

Arctic

charr

Rudd

Tench

*

Common

carp*

Ruffe*

Sunble

ak*

Rainbo

w trout

Mudminn

ow*

Flound

er

Topmou

th gu

dgeo

n*Smelt

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

12S freqcytb freq

Prop

ortio

n of

site

s pre

sent

Lake Windermere (65 samples)

Key results: species abundance

Key results: species ecology

Oligotrophic association

Eutrophic association

No association

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Year

Mea

n SR

P in

firs

t 4 w

eeks

(mg

m-3

)North basin

South basin

Windermere results: spatial variability

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9

1

Windermere offshore

Abramis

brama

Anguil

la an

guilla

Barbatu

la ba

rbatul

a

Cottus

gobio

Esox l

ucius

Gaster

osteu

s acu

leatus

Perca f

luviat

ilis

Phoxin

us ph

oxinu

s

Rutilus

rutilu

s

Salmo s

alar

Salmo t

rutta

Salveli

nus a

lpinu

s0

0.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9

1

Windermere shore

10 speciesMissing Stone loachThree-spine stickleback

Potentially underrepresented:BullheadMinnow

11 speciesMissingArctic charr

Osgaig results

Site

occ

upan

cy

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9

1

Osgaig Shore

CytB12S

Eel Brown trout

Minnow Salmon Arctic charr

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1Osgaig Offshore

CytB12S

4 speciesArctic charr not recordedConsistent between markersHigh frequency

Gillnetting- 3 species (salmon and eels missing)

5 speciesOnly 3 with both markersLow frequency

Next stages• Repeat Osgaig & Windermere sampling in winter• Sample ultra low abundance site (Loch Katrine)• Expand sampling to a wider range of sites

eDNA lake fish project

Thanks for listening!http://www.river-obstacles.org.uk/