10/16/2023 0 Comments Dredging small creeksThe sea trout abundance was significantly negatively correlated with the NAO index, suggesting that sea trout may be adversely affected by mild winters, which have been a feature of the late 1980’s and 1990’s. There was a significant correlation between the number of salmon caught by rod and the Tamar river flow. Commercially and ecologically important fish species (salmon and sea trout) showed a steady decline in numbers caught in the Tamar since the 1970’s. Spatial and temporal changes in the abundance of intertidal macrofauna (between 19) were analysed but there was insufficient comparable data to enable us to draw any conclusions about long-term changes in the Tamar estuary. Other physical variables, such as Tamar river flow and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, representing potential drivers of changes in the abundance of biota, were also examined. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether there is any evidence of significant temporal changes in key species (intertidal macrofauna, fishes, birds) and habitats (intertidal mudflats and saltmarsh) that could be related to dredging activities in the lower Tamar. The lower Tamar is also the site of the Devonport naval dockyard which requires annual maintenance dredging, as well as occasional capital dredging for new installations. The Tamar estuary is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats and Species Directive and a Special Protection Area under the Wild Birds Directive (1979).
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