Sharks, seahorses, eels and seals have been found living in the River Thames, a study has found, BBC reports.
The State of the Thames Report, led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), highlights changes since the river was declared “biologically dead” in 1957.
The river has seen an increase in its range of birds, marine mammals and natural habitats since the 1990s.
However, a number of fish species found in the tidal areas of the Thames have showed a slight decline, experts found.
Climate change has increased the temperature of London’s waterway by 0.2C a year, the study said. The rising temperature has meant water levels in the tidal Thames have increased since 1911, ZSL said.
The study said shark species including tope, starry smooth hound and spurdog live in the Thames and the there are more than 100 species of fish in the 215-mile long river.
Short-term trends revealed water quality has improved, with dissolved oxygen concentrations showing an increase from 2007 to 2020.
Alison Debney, for ZSL, said: “This report has enabled us to really look at how far the Thames has come on its journey to recovery since it was declared biologically dead, and, in some cases, set baselines to build from in the future.”
Image source: The Guardian
