Quantifying the sensitivity of all life stages of the mayfly to elevated nutrient concentrations in rivers and streams

With Hannah Markham, University of Nottingham.

All seminars online. Please contact sue.davis@nottingham.ac.uk for the link. Subject to change.

Part of the Geosciences Seminar Series.

Flying insect abundance is in serious decline worldwide. Mayfly are a keystone group of aquatic insects inhabiting freshwater and riparian habitats and face mounting pressures via anthropogenic induced water pollution. It is acknowledged that loss of their presence could cause aquatic ecosystems to function in a fundamentally altered way or breakdown altogether.

Eighty-six percent of rivers in England fail to achieve a ‘good’ standard of ecological quality under the most recently used matrices and not a single river was classed as ‘good’ when reviewed for chemical status.

My PhD research focuses on the impact that elevated nutrient pollution from point and diffuse sources is having on the survival and fitness of mayfly through all life stages in our rivers and streams.

I will present an overview of the conditions faced by one of our most iconic aquatic insects and specifically what effect increased concentrations of orthophosphates in our waterways may be having on them both in a direct and consequential form.

I will report on the work undertaken so far and on plans for an imminent busy field season that begins in May.