Survey of Invertebrate Assemblages in Saltmarsh Habitats of the Humber Estuary SSSI

About

Natural England awarded a contract to Andy Godfrey for surveys of invertebrate assemblages associated with saltmarsh within the Humber Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The surveys used Common Standards Monitoring sampling protocols at Welwick saltmarsh (East Yorkshire), Tetney Marshes (Lincolnshire), Grainthorpe Haven (Lincolnshire), and Saltfleet (Lincolnshire), with four sample locations at each site.

Four visits were conducted between early May and end of September 2024, with at least four weeks between visits.

The work assessed the current state of invertebrate assemblages using free-ranging searches and standardised methods including pond netting, ground searching, spot sweeping, and sweep netting, focusing on Coleoptera and Diptera.

The assemblages were characterised and assessed using Pantheon, a database tool developed by Natural England and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Brief habitat data were recorded to aid understanding of habitat requirements, and habitat management recommendations were provided.

The contract accounted for sensitive areas for breeding birds, including Schedule 1 species, and addressed health and safety in difficult tidal terrain with timing constrained by tide times.

The contract started in April 2024, with a final report submitted by 15 March 2025, at a value of £11,489.