Mussel numbers in the river Thames have dropped by up to 99 per cent

Populations of native mussels within the river Thames have dropped massively between 1964 and 2020, presumably due to the consequences of air pollution and invasive species

By Matthew Sparkes

Mussel populations within the river Thames within the UK have dropped by as a lot as 99 per cent between 1964 and 2020. Why isn’t clear, however the researchers concerned suspect it’s right down to the consequences of air pollution and invasive species.

To make clear the long-term pattern, Isobel Ollard and David Aldridge on the University of Cambridge replicated the earliest rigorous research obtainable on these mussel populations, a survey on the Thames in Reading, Berkshire, relationship …