Temperature loggers downloaded this month

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GFT are currently in the process of downloading data from temperature loggers which are in 20 sites across the river Bladnoch. The data gets downloaded twice a year; once in April and once in October.

The loggers are part of a project by Marine Scotland Science (MSS) called The Scotland River Temperature Monitoring Network (SRTMN). The project is a collaboration between MSS and various fisheries trusts across Scotland. The main objectives of this project are to monitor river temperatures, assess the effects of climate change in Scottish rivers, understanding the effect of forestry processes on river temperature, and observe the relationships between river temperature and salmon growth.

Climate change is expected to cause a rise in river temperature, posing a potential threat to Scotland’s salmon and trout populations. High river temperatures can negatively affect the feeding, growth, and productivity of freshwater fish with extreme highs being fatal. Bankside tree planting can reduce river temperatures and protect freshwaters from climate change.  Although the degree of their effect is dependent on the river’s characteristics. This project will use temperature data collected by fisheries trust in Scotland to highlight watercourses which are particularly sensitive to climate change and predicted where temperature increases are a concern. This can then be used as a guide to select areas of bankside which would benefit from deciduous tree planting.

Marine Scotland Science has produced some interactive maps presenting the data collected from this project so far which can be accessed through their website.

Further Information

• Galloway Fisheries Trust Projects