🌊 Hamble Brook
eDNA Biodiversity Report Card
9 EPT families
Strong populations of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies suggest healthy chalk stream conditions.
Top 15 families detected by eDNA analysis:
| Species | Family | Sites | ESVs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoxinus phoxinus (Minnow) | Cyprinidae | 5 | 20 |
| Gasterosteus aculeatus (Three-spined Stickleback) | Gasterosteidae | 4 | 8 |
| Salmo trutta (Brown Trout / Sea Trout) | Salmonidae | 3 | 4 |
| Barbatula barbatula (Stone Loach) | Nemacheilidae | 2 | 4 |
| Carassius auratus (Goldfish) | Cyprinidae | 1 | 1 |
| Gobio gobio (Gudgeon) | Cyprinidae | 1 | 1 |
| Leuciscus leuciscus (Dace) | Cyprinidae | 1 | 1 |
| Squalius cephalus (Chub) | Cyprinidae | 1 | 1 |
| Species | Family | Sites | ESVs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baetis rhodani (Large Dark Olive) | Baetidae | 4 | 9 |
| Baetis vernus (Medium Olive) | Baetidae | 3 | 8 |
| Cloeon dipterum (Pond Olive) | Baetidae | 2 | 6 |
| Paraleptophlebia werneri (Scarce Purple Dun) | Leptophlebiidae | 2 | 2 |
| Species | Family | Sites | ESVs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nemurella pictetii (Pictet's Stonefly) | Nemouridae | 4 | 6 |
| Taeniopteryx nebulosa (February Red) | Taeniopterygidae | 1 | 1 |
| Species | Family | Sites | ESVs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glyphotaelius pellucidus (Northern Caddisflies) | Limnephilidae | 4 | 11 |
| Sericostoma personatum (Sericostomatid Caddisflies) | Sericostomatidae | 4 | 7 |
| Limnephilus marmoratus (Northern Caddisflies) | Limnephilidae | 3 | 4 |
| Apatania cimbrica (Apataniid Caddisflies) | Apataniidae | 3 | 3 |
| Hydroptila vectis (Microcaddisflies) | Hydroptilidae | 3 | 3 |
| Stenophylax permistus (Northern Caddisflies) | Limnephilidae | 1 | 3 |
| Leptocerus tineiformis (Long-horned Caddisflies) | Leptoceridae | 1 | 1 |
| Anabolia nervosa (Northern Caddisflies) | Limnephilidae | 1 | 1 |
| Limnephilus rhombicus (Northern Caddisflies) | Limnephilidae | 1 | 1 |
| Site | Location | Species | Genera | EPT Families | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H6 | Colstrope I | 168 | 136 | 7 | 🌟 |
| H10 | Bridge east of Mill End Car Pa... | 143 | 108 | 6 | |
| H5 | Upstream Colstrope Farm | 137 | 102 | 7 | |
| H4 | downstream Arizona Farm (upstr... | 86 | 73 | 5 | |
| H7 | Pheasant's Hill | 17 | 17 | 1 |
🌟 = Most diverse site on river
The Hamble Brook flows through the Thames & Chilterns South catchment, where our eDNA survey sampled 5 sites along its length. Analysis of water samples revealed a rich invertebrate community with 294 distinct genetic sequences (Species) representing 293 identified species and 123 families.
Compared to other chalk streams surveyed, the Hamble Brook shows moderate diversity compared to other rivers in the study (#9 of 11). The river supports 9 families of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies (EPT) - key indicators of water quality.
Notable findings include the detection of conservation priority species (Water shrew) and invasive species requiring management attention.
294 Species detected across 5 sites — CSV format, opens in Excel
