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The aim of this article is to examine in detail a Swiss baselard in the Royal Armouries collection, IX.3482. The original catalogue entry for the object described it as a 14th or early fifteenth century English baselard. However, by comparing IX.3482 with similar examples held in Swiss institutions, monumental effigies and contemporaneous artistic depictions, this article will seek to establish a more accurate identification, reinforced by careful analysis of previous scholarship. In addition, the article will also seek to further explore the broader typology of baselards, focussing specifically on the Swiss sub-types and how we might clarify both the typology, and the terminology currently applied to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The French anarchist geographer Élisée Reclus (1830–1905) dedicated several hundred pages to London. Addressing different audiences and adopting different tones accordingly, he produced travel guides, geographic treatises, and meditations (posthumously published) that recounted contemporary London in various ways. This article examines Reclus’s reflections on the city, serving as both a companion for Anglophone readers exploring Reclus’s work and an invitation to view London through new eyes—that is, those of a foreign traveller whose conflictual, yet affectional, relationship with London may still describe that of many today. As this article shows, globalisation, progress, environment, and social habits are recurrent themes in his accounts: at times they are approached with considerable scientific rigour, and at others, they immersed in a romantic indefiniteness articulated by way of a frenetic expressive tempo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a Bayesian model averaging (BMA)-based ensemble modeling system is proposed to project future flood occurrences for the River Thames using downscaled high-resolution climate projections from the latest general circulation models (GCMs) in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). The BMA-based ensemble modeling system integrates multiple hydrological models into the BMA framework to enhance the accuracy of hydrological forecasting, which has shown good performance in validation with the NSE higher 0.91, KGE approaching 0.80, and correlation coefficient higher than 0.96. Daily projections of precipitation and temperature under all four shared socioeconomic pathways were obtained from three GCM models and were further employed to project future potential evaporation. The BMA-based ensemble modeling system was then used to forecast annual maximum flood rates and associated 3-day maximum flood volumes in the future. Our results show that the three GCM models exhibit considerable differences in terms of future flood projections, but all indicate a general increase in flood occurrence and magnitude under future climate change scenarios. The future daily flood events under different climate scenarios are likely to become more severe, as indicated by higher mean, maximum, and 90th quantile values of the AMAX flood series. Meanwhile, the corresponding 3-day flood volumes show varying patterns in terms of mean and extreme flood volumes under different scenarios, but we would have more chances to experience severe 3-day flood volumes in future. The results of our study can provide important information for flood risk management and adaptation planning in the River Thames basin.

Investigations at Oak Tree Fields, Cerney Wick, Gloucestershire, in western England have revealed a sequence of fluvial deposits dating from Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 to 5. At the base of the sequence, a series of gravel and sand facies were deposited, initially as part of a meandering river. Reductions in flow energy of the latter and avulsion led to the development of short‐lived channels and episodic backwater environments, the deposits of which are recorded as Facies Associations 1–3. Poorly sorted, probably colluvial deposits formed beyond the limit of the channel (Facies Association 4). Mollusca, Coleoptera, plant macrofossils, pollen and vertebrates recovered from the channel facies indicate broadly similar climatic conditions throughout accretion. Temperature ranges derived from mutual climatic range analysis of the Coleoptera almost completely overlap with those of Cerney Wick at the present day, albeit that winters may have been cooler when the channel was active. Further, the floral and faunal data suggest that the meandering river flowed through an open grassland environment, the latter heavily grazed by large vertebrates, most notably mammoth. Most of the botanical and faunal remains, together with four optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age estimates ranging from 225 ± 23 to 187 ± 19 ka, suggest correlation of the channel deposits with MIS 7. The basal deposits (Facies Association 1) yielded the majority of vertebrate remains and all the lithic artefacts, most of which seem likely to have travelled only a short distance. Although only a few artefacts were recovered, they add to the relatively limited evidence of human activity from the upper Thames. The channel deposits are overlain by sheet gravels (Facies Association 5) which are attributed to the Northmoor Member of the Upper Thames Formation. These were likely to have been deposited as bedload in a braided stream environment, while two OSL age estimates of 129 ± 14 and 112 ± 11 ka suggest accumulation during MIS 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an updated geological reconstruction of the Quaternary evolution of the River Thames at its downstream extremities, close to the North Sea coast, based on new data from multi-disciplinary and citizen-science sources. In this area, the interaction of the Thames with the MIS 12 (Anglian) glaciation is an important part of the Quaternary archive. The Anglian ice sheet, which reached parts of north and east London, was responsible for diverting the Thames southwards into its present course, although the footprint of the maximum ice sheet(s) does not reach the North Sea coast south of Hollesley, Suffolk. Further south, the coastal zone hosts pre-Anglian and early Anglian river-terrace deposits of the pre-diversion Thames system, superimposed upon which are products of later post-Anglian rivers, of both Middle and Late Pleistocene age. On the peninsula between the Stour and Blackwater–Colne estuaries, the lowest and most recent terrace of the pre-diversion Thames includes evidence directly pertaining to the glacial disruption event, for which geochronological data are reported here for the first time. The first post-diversion terrace of the Thames also reaches this peninsula, the river having essentially re-joined its original valley before crossing the alignment of the modern coastline. This terrace passes beneath Clacton-on-Sea, where it includes the type locality of the Clactonian Palaeolithic Industry. The area of interest to this paper, in NE Essex and southern Suffolk, includes a number of interglacial and Palaeolithic sites, the data from which assist in constraining the chronostratigraphy of the sequence. In some cases, there has been uncertainty as to whether these sites represent pre-Anglian environments and hominin occupations, part of the palaeo-Thames sequence, or whether they are the product of later post-Anglian streams, formed after the Thames had migrated southwards. This paper compiles evidence from a wide range of recent sources, including developer-funded archaeological appraisal and citizen-science activities, to explore and update the evidence from sites at Ipswich, Upper Dovercourt and Thorpe-le-Soken, as well as a number of localities associated with the Clacton Channel Deposits (host to the type-Clactonian), amongst others. The resulting new data are placed within the wider context of the Quaternary fluvial archives in southern Britain, with a discussion of how disparate sources of information, including the work of citizen scientists, have contributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invasive non-native Ponto-Caspian amphipod Chelicorophium robustum has been recorded for the first time in Great Britain. In October 2021 a single specimen was found at a site on the River Thames near Hampton, London during a programme of surveys undertaken on behalf of Thames Water Utilities Ltd. The programme employed a novel method of multi-habitat survey devised to target the collection and identification of aquatic non-native species from a range of water body types. Surveys were conducted in accordance with a strict biosecurity protocol. Non-native taxa found alongside C. robustum included other Ponto-Caspian crustaceans, bivalve molluscs and a polychaete worm plus additional invasive macroinvertebrates from Asia, North America and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clare Hamman gives us a peek into the impressive collection of Alsop paintings held by the Marco Goldschmeid Foundation, and ruminates on the applications for which Alsop used his painterly instincts. Firstly, this was to clear his own mind of preconceived ideas, then, as a catalyst for creativity in his office and with collaborators, as well as a prompt for open‐minded discussion with clients. Hamman positions the role of painting in Alsop's design practice as both a life‐giving force and powerful means of popular communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The projection and tailoring of architectural space is a deeply personal occupation intertwined with a designer's history, education and geographical roots. British architect Shaun Murray has a very individual way of representing and positing situations and spaces, which he communicates through his multilayered airbrushed drawings. Historian, theorist and critic Robin Wilson analyses his influences and aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatiotemporal distribution of soil moisture is important for hydrometeorological and agricultural applications. There is growing interest in monitoring soil moisture in relation to soil- and land-based natural flood management (NFM), to understand the soil’s ability, via land-use and management changes, and to delay the arrival of flood peaks in nearby watercourses. This article monitors relative surface soil moisture (rSSM) across the Thames Valley, U.K., using Sentinel-1 data, and the Vienna University of Technology (TU-Wien) Change Detection Algorithm, with a novel exploration of monthly and annual normalization factors and spatial averaging. Two pairs of normalization factors are introduced to remove impacts from varying local incidence angles through direct and multiple regression slopes. The spatiotemporal distribution of rSSM values at various spatial resolutions (1000, 500, 250, and 100 m) is assessed. Comparisons with in situ soil moisture data from the COSMOS-UK network show that, while general temporal trends agree, the difference in effective depth of measurements, coupled with vegetation impacts during the growing season, makes comparison with soil moisture observations difficult. Temporal rSSM trends can be retrieved at spatial resolutions down to 100 m, and the rSSM RMSE was found to decrease as the spatial resolution increases. The vegetation effects upon the rSSM are further explored by comparing the two dominant land cover types: Arable and Horticulture, and Improved Grassland. It was found that, while the rSSM retrieval for these land covers was possible, and the general soil moisture trend is clear, overlying vegetation during the summer artificially increased the rSSM values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at the significance of South London for Whistler, particularly the line of Battersea factories that he viewed and depicted repeatedly from his home on Cheyne Walk, where he lived from the 1860s. It uses Variations in Flesh Colour and Green, The Balcony (1864–1873) as a way of considering the context and precursors of these factories in Battersea, interrogating Whistler’s use of Japonisme, and his emerging aesthetic that went on to manifest in the nocturnes and become fully articulated in his “Ten O’clock Lecture”. A contrast is drawn between Whistler’s depiction of factories in Variations in Flesh Colour and Green and the nocturnes, and use of these buildings as motifs in earlier British social realist art and writing of the 1840s and 1850s. Parallels are found between the transformation of industrial Battersea into a twilit fairyland of the imagination, as advocated in Whistler’s lecture, and the subsequent developer-led transformation of Battersea’s riverside, which started in the late twentieth century, turning it into a new zone of exclusive riverside apartment blocks where, quite literally, “the tall chimneys become campanile—and the warehouses are palaces in the night”.

The river’s “watery relations” have fostered connections between people and places and necessitated the flow and exchange of materials and ideas.

This article considers representations of a fire that broke out at Cotton’s Wharf in Tooley Street, London, in 1861 as a case study that reveals a debate about the status of Britain as a global power. Such discussions were fuelled by the three influences of extractive imperial capitalism, a financial system predicated on speculation, and a new investment in the authority of images as records. On multiple levels, images of the Tooley Street fire––a spectacular blaze demolishing the spoils of empire––thematised material transformation in ways that vacillated between reassurance and doubt about the foundational, if shaky, Victorian tenet that nothing was ever lost but rather was in a state of perpetual metamorphosis, infinitely renewable and replaceable. Two new practices of risk-taking––speculation and fire insurance—were likewise predicated on a structure of perpetual substitution, which was also the structure of representation itself. After establishing the various types of illustrations of the Tooley Street fire in terms of their purpose and audience, this article evaluates the principal goods lost in the blaze––cotton and tallow––with regard to their cultural and economic meanings in 1861. It concludes by suggesting that mid-century conceptions of the element of fire resonated with the institutional logic of certain structures of modernity.

In 1865, the scientist James Glaisher described the way that gaslights illuminated the outline of the serpentine river Thames when seen from a balloon: “On leaving Charing Cross I looked back over London, the model of which could be seen traced—its squares by their lights; the river, which looked dark and dull, by the double row of lights on every bridge spanning it”. The Thames began to change dramatically in the early nineteenth century as a direct result of the establishment of the gasworks along the river. This article explores some of the historical forces through which the Thames became a key site where gas manufacture and ballooning came together to provide new forms of experience and spectacle; and economic opportunity as well as deadly physical risk and toxic effluent. Gas in London applied a material force, exerting a presence both through the positioning of human observer in the aerial landscape, and as a pictorial subject of art and visual documentation, rendered through fine art, watercolors, maps, and other visual records. Consideration of what I call here “the visual gas field” suggests that the docklands of the nineteenth-century Thames were not only connected by its waters, but also by a form of energy that bridged earth, air, and water with far-ranging impacts on the river’s ecology, the people who lived and worked on it, and the ways in which the river was seen and imagined.

This paper is an exploration of the points of encounter that become visible through the practice of mudlarking - that is, the gathering of materials from the foreshore along the River Thames in London, England. I first examine the foreshore itself, as the meeting place between underworlds, liquid worlds and surface worlds, positing that it therefore constitutes a borderland. Based on fieldwork carried out in Rotherhithe and Greenwich, I further argue that the spatiotemporal dimension of experience is destabilised in such a location. Another point of encounter is identified as existing between the hand and the found thing, creating a form of tactile material intimacy and performative theorising. Lastly, I suggest that touching and holding are not passive acts, but an interlocking of porous bodies and a way to cohabit with things as they emerge from the mud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an updated geological reconstruction of the Quaternary evolution of the River Thames at its downstream extremities, close to the North Sea coast, based on new data from multi-disciplinary and citizen-science sources. In this area, the interaction of the Thames with the MIS 12 (Anglian) glaciation is an important part of the Quaternary archive. The Anglian ice sheet, which reached parts of north and east London, was responsible for diverting the Thames southwards into its present course, although the footprint of the maximum ice sheet(s) does not reach the North Sea coast south of Hollesley, Suffolk. Further south, the coastal zone hosts pre-Anglian and early Anglian river-terrace deposits of the pre-diversion Thames system, superimposed upon which are products of later post-Anglian rivers, of both Middle and Late Pleistocene age. On the peninsula between the Stour and Blackwater–Colne estuaries, the lowest and most recent terrace of the pre-diversion Thames includes evidence directly pertaining to the glacial disruption event, for which geochronological data are reported here for the first time. The first post-diversion terrace of the Thames also reaches this peninsula, the river having essentially re-joined its original valley before crossing the alignment of the modern coastline. This terrace passes beneath Clacton-on-Sea, where it includes the type locality of the Clactonian Palaeolithic Industry. The area of interest to this paper, in NE Essex and southern Suffolk, includes a number of interglacial and Palaeolithic sites, the data from which assist in constraining the chronostratigraphy of the sequence. In some cases, there has been uncertainty as to whether these sites represent pre-Anglian environments and hominin occupations, part of the palaeo-Thames sequence, or whether they are the product of later post-Anglian streams, formed after the Thames had migrated southwards. This paper compiles evidence from a wide range of recent sources, including developer-funded archaeological appraisal and citizen-science activities, to explore and update the evidence from sites at Ipswich, Upper Dovercourt and Thorpe-le-Soken, as well as a number of localities associated with the Clacton Channel Deposits (host to the type-Clactonian), amongst others. The resulting new data are placed within the wider context of the Quaternary fluvial archives in southern Britain, with a discussion of how disparate sources of information, including the work of citizen scientists, have contributed.

Through a cartographic dérive of Greenwich, home of the Prime Meridian, Architectural Association Head of Communications Ryan Dillon reveals lines, variances, elisions, paradoxes and lies in a world that cannot be totally known or described. His trajectory provokes musings on the inconsistencies of the map and the modelling of any terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐resolution river modeling is valuable to study diurnal scale phytoplankton dynamics and understand biomass response to short‐term, rapid changes in its environmental controls. Based on theory contained in the Quality Evaluation and Simulation Tool for River‐systems model, a new river model is developed to simulate hourly scale phytoplankton growth and its environmental controls, thus allowing to study diurnal changes thereof. The model is implemented along a 62 km stretch in a lowland river, River Thames (England), using high‐frequency water quality measurements to simulate flow, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and phytoplankton concentrations for 2 years (2013–2014). The model satisfactorily simulates diurnal variability and transport of phytoplankton with Nash and Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) > 0.7 at all calibration sites. Even without high‐frequency data inputs, the model performs satisfactorily with NSE > 0.6. The model therefore can serve as a powerful tool both for predictive purposes and for hindcasting past conditions when hourly resolution water quality monitoring is unavailable. Model sensitivity analysis shows that the model with cool water diatoms as dominant species with an optimum growth temperature of 14°C performs the best for phytoplankton prediction. Phytoplankton blooms are mainly controlled by residence time, light and water temperature. Moreover, phytoplankton blooms develop within an optimum range of flow (21–63 m3 s−1). Thus, lowering river residence time with short‐term high flow releases could help prevent major bloom developments. The hourly model improves biomass prediction and represents a step forward in high‐resolution phytoplankton modeling and consequently, bloom management in lowland river systems. Key Points: Hourly model is developed for lowland river phytoplankton prediction and is tested in the River Thames using high‐frequency observationsBlooms are mainly influenced by physical controls and develop at low‐mid flows (21–63 m3 s−1) and temperatures (11–18°C)High‐resolution modeling improves phytoplankton prediction in the river [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

David Kohn, director of London‐based David Kohn Architects and diploma tutor at the Architectural Association, takes us on an almost psychogeographic dérive along the River Thames and into its marshy hinterland, picking up nuances, his own buildings and high points of the postmodern past. Along the way he explains what is important and inspiring for him and his practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the multivariate flood risk for the river Thames at Kingston based on historical flood data from the National River Flow Archive (NRFA) website. The bivariate risk analysis framework was prepared from the joint return periods of the peak flow (m3/s) and 3-day annual maximum flow (m3/s) flood pair. A total of 137 samples of flood pairs from 1883 to 2019 were adopted for risk analysis. The multivariate return periods were characterized depending on the quantification of the bivariate flood frequency analysis of the pair through copulas methods. The unknown parameter of each copula was estimated using the method-of-moment (MOM) estimator based on Kendall’s tau inversion, in which the Clayton copula performed best to model the dependence of the two flood variables. Then, the bivariate hydrologic risk was characterized based on the joint return period in AND, established from the Clayton copula method. The results reveal that the flood pair would keep a constant hydrologic risk value for some time then moderately decrease as the 3-day AMAX flow increases from 700 m3/s. This hydrologic risk indicator was analyzed under four service time scenarios and three peak flows whose return periods were positioned at 50, 100, and 150 years. The outcomes from the bivariate risk analysis of the flood pairs can be used as decision support during the design of flood defenses and hydraulic facilities.

Profound changes to the species configuration of ecosystems globally during the 19th to 21st centuries, resulting from the introduction of neobiota, have produced a distinctive palaeontological signature in sedimentary deposits, here exemplified by those of the River Thames. Coring near Teddington Lock (ca. 4.3 m above sea level, ca. 89 km upstream from the mouth of the Thames estuary) yielded dense assemblages of shells of the invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea (recently invaded in 2004) and the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (invaded 1824), which together accounted for 96% of individuals sampled. Population densities of C. fluminea of over 6000 individuals per m2 were maintained for a depth of 1 m indicating that the Asian clam is an important biostratigraphical marker in the Thames for sedimentary deposits accumulating since 2004. The first modern European occurrence of C. fluminea was in Portugal in 1980. In 1987, the first occurrence of C. fluminea on the northern coast of South America was observed in the Caripe River, Venezuela. The non‐native range of D. polymorpha was restricted to continental Europe for over 200 years until it appeared in the Great Lakes, USA, in 1986 having been transported in ballast water. Within three years, it reached populations of over 750,000 individuals per m2 and it is presently recorded in 35 states. Therefore, the pan‐Atlantic range expansion of D. polymorpha, coupled with the recent invasion history of C. fluminea in Venezuela and Portugal, identifies a biostratigraphical interval in sedimentary deposits forming from the early 1980s that can be correlated between Europe and the Americas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results from mobile hydroacoustic surveys carried out between 1994 and 2018, to assess the fish stocks in four impounded reaches, covering 19.8 km of the River Thames, England. The data are complemented with electric fishing boom boat results, collected at the same study reaches and time periods. Hydroacoustic surveys used inter-calibrated dual and split-beam scientific echosounders, with the transducers beaming horizontally across the river to provide fish abundance and distribution estimates. Electric fishing surveys provided catch per unit effort estimates and information on size structure and species composition. Catch data from the margins of the study reaches were dominated by roach (Rutilus rutilus), with bleak (Alburnus alburnus) dominant in mid-river. Hydroacoustic data demonstrated patchy spatial distribution, often associated with natural and anthropogenic habitat features. Cyclical peaks and troughs in both hydroacoustic and electric fishing abundance were found. There were periods of correspondence with electric fishing abundance estimates, but also periods of significant divergence. The concept of ‘Shifting Baseline Syndrome’ is discussed with reference to these data, illustrating the importance of viewing long term quantitative information when using meaningful reference points. The potential impact of river temperature and flow on the fish population data are discussed.

With widespread, long-term historical use of plastics and the presence of microplastics in a range of new and existing products, there is rising concern about their potential impacts on freshwater ecosystems. Understanding how microplastics are transported and distributed along river systems is key to assessing impacts. Modelling the main flow dynamics, mixing, sedimentation and resuspension processes is essential for an understanding of the transport processes. We use the new, processed based, dynamic, integrated catchments (INCA) microplastics model and apply this to the whole of the freshwater catchment of the River Thames, UK, to evaluate inputs, loads and concentrations along the river system. Recent data from UK water industry studies on microplastics in effluent discharges and sewage sludge disposal has been utilised to drive the INCA microplastics model. Predicted concentrations and microplastic loads moving along the river system are shown to be significant, with a build-up of concentrations along the river, with increasing deposition on the riverbed. The potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems are evaluated and a review of policy implications is explored.

Macroplastic is a growing concern for marine environments with estuaries providing a major pathway for pollution from land-based sources to the sea. In the Thames Estuary, plastic was abundant floating below the surface and on the riverbed, with an average catch per unit effort of 0.57 ± 0.42 and 2.75 ± 2.44 item per minute respectively. Whilst the abundance of litter differed between midwater and benthic zones, the types of products recovered did not. These were identified through visual examination and use of a unique citizen science engagement protocol, allowing for the item age, brand and countries of origin to be established. The majority of litter from the present study (n = 1335) was packaging (40%), some of which was over 30-years old and may have originated from landfill run off. Also abundant was sewage-related debris, the inputs of which was related to heavy or prolonged rainfall. Peaks in this material were recorded in September 2020 following the greatest volume of rain recorded in a single day and in June 2019 after the longest period of continuous rainfall. The Covid-19 pandemic did not influence the abundance or diversity of plastic recovered between December 2018 and September 2020. The durability of plastic ensures it has high potential for harm through entanglement, deoxygenation of sediment and ingestion. The retention in the environment also increases opportunities to fragment into micro- or nanoplastics and, therefore, it is important to monitor plastics at both a macro- and micro-scale. [Display omitted] • Macrolitter is abundant in the water column and on the riverbed. • Litter is 5 × more likely to be recovered on the riverbed than the water column. • Single-use plastic, including food packaging is most common. • Some of the recovered items are ca. 30 years old. • Sewage outfalls and runoff from landfill are major sources of macrolitter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a non-invasive imaging technique, this study explores the application of Computed Tomography (CT) in microplastics research, assessing its potential to distinguish different types and sizes of microplastics (polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride) from homogenised river-estuarine sediment. When examined in layers within artificial cores, all microplastic types could be observed by CT imagery, with good contrast in X-ray attenuation (based on image gray level intensity) against background sediments. Large microplastics (4 mm diameter) were also detectable when distributed randomly amongst the sediment. These spiked cores had sufficient difference in attenuation to allow segmentation between type, and therefore isolate individual microplastics. Due to limitations on scan resolution, smaller microplastics (≤125 μm diameter) could not be detected in spiked cores. Scans of two sediment cores from a Thames River tributary (UK) revealed two distinctive sediment structures which could influence microplastic accumulation. This information would be lost using conventional recovery procedures. [Display omitted] • A new application of Computed Tomography (CT) in microplastics research is proposed. • CT scans reveal non-invasive study of microplastics in sediments could be possible. • Larger microplastics in artificial cores were digitally recovered and isolated. • Scans of environmental cores show data on sediment structure lost by other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ponto-Caspian amphipod Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, known as the demon shrimp, arrived in the UK in 2012 and has since spread rapidly, invading waterways particularly in central England. In this paper we use data from routine Environment Agency surveys to explore how D. haemobaphes has spread and assess whether it fits the 2013 predictions of Gallardo and Aldridge, which identified southern, eastern and central England as most vulnerable to Ponto-Caspian invaders. We then focus on two rivers, the Thames and the Trent, utilising a mixture of recent and long term datasets to track the presence of D. haemobaphes along the course of each river and compare it to that of the native amphipod Gammarus pulex. We observed that D. haemobaphes is now the dominant amphipod in the navigable stretches of both rivers and that the spread of the species nationally appears closely linked to the canal network. We suggest that focussing biosecurity controls on the movement of boats and equipment between affected and unaffected catchments will be key to limiting the further spread of this and similar invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater resources in the River Thames basin in southern UK are faced with combined pressures of future population growth and climate change. River basin managers are seeking increasingly innovative methods to meet water demand whilst at the same time maintaining ecological status. Using a river network hydrochemical model modified to account for possible future climate and population, the paper assesses the impact on downstream water quality of changing the location of a major point of abstraction serving the city of Oxford. The rationale behind the hypothetical change, although entailing an increase in energy costs and capital expenditure, was that flows would be maintained along a sensitive stretch of river. Model results at a location a further 23 km downstream suggested that better water quality would arise from this change. The predicted improvements included a decrease in the annual frequency of low DO concentrations (<6 mg L−1) from 8-9 days to 2-3 days and a decrease in 90th percentile (summer) temperatures of 0.6 °C. It is believed these improvements would primarily be attributable to shortening of river residence time which curtails accelerated phytoplankton growth. The overall conclusion, of relevance both for the Thames basin and elsewhere, is that water quality in a river network can be surprisingly sensitive to the location of abstractions. Changing the location of abstractions should be considered as part of a suite of measures available to river basin managers when making plans to meet future water demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Shaun Murray – an architect and architectural teacher at the Architectural Association and University of Greenwich – the design of architecture is more than the deployment of discrete objects in space. Rather, it is the marshalling and bottom‐up choreography of highly complex spacetime entities that are both organic and inorganic. So objects become ‘things’ of indeterminate duration, highly networked, always reconfiguring and morphing. Murray has developed notations and drafting techniques that facilitate his understanding of architectural space and which he uses in his experimental practice – ENIAtype, based in London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

London‐based architect and designer Nigel Coates has had a long and distinguished international career. Here he explores his own work through the lenses of Surrealism, citing some of the influences that shaped his practice and introducing us to his recent project that reimagines London's historic Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens for the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Modifications of a traditional fyke net design were trialled in 42 hauls over 5 months at 42 locations in theThames estuary, London. These trials were to determine whether the modified nets could be used to catch invasive mitten crabs while at the same time releasing endangered eels, back into the river. 2. The modifications included rings of different diameters fixed into the netting to provide escape apertures and also a variation in mesh size. A standard, unmodified net was included as a control. 3. Captured mitten crabs, eels and other fish by-catch were measured and recorded for all deployed nets. Mitten crabs and eels were caught in all nets except those of the largest mesh size (70 mm) which caught no eels. This may have been the combined effect of the mesh size and it being set on the square, versus the normal diagonal netting which may become increasingly constricted in one axis, under tension. Such a square mesh net could be used to trap crabs of carapace width > 65 mm, while releasing all eels. 4. The smallest rings, 22 mm internal diameter, inserted into the mesh may have allowed the escape of eels < 35 cm length, but retained larger, market legal, individuals. This suggests that a slightly smaller escape ring could potentially be used to release eels of ≤ 30 cm in length, in line with current regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on quantifying the abundance of microplastics within the surface water of the River Thames, UK. Ten sites in eight areas were sampled within the tidal Thames, starting from Teddington and ending at Southend-on-Sea. Three litres of water was collected monthly at high tide from land-based structures from each site from May 2019 to May 2021. Samples underwent visual analysis for microplastics categorised based on type, colour and size. 1041 pieces were tested using Fourier transform spectroscopy to identify chemical composition and polymer type. 6401 pieces of MP were found during sampling with an average MP of 12.27 pieces L−1 along the river Thames. Results from this study show that microplastic abundance does not increase along the river. • Average MP along the River Thames decreased from 2019 (12.27 L−1) to 2021 (5.92 L−1). • Fibres made up 93.27 % of all MPs found within the river • The most commonly found polymers were polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polychloroprene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined indirect and direct impacts of land use change and climate change on river water quality were assessed. A land use allocation model was used to evaluate the response of the catchment land use to long-term climatic changes. Its results were used to drive a water quality model and assess the impact of climatic alterations on freshwater nitrate and phosphorus concentrations. Climatic projections were employed to estimate the likelihood of such response. The River Thames catchment (UK) was used as a case-study. If land use is considered as static parameter, according to the model results, climate change alone should reduce the average nitrate concentration, although just by a small amount, by the 2050s in the Lower Thames, due to reduced runoff (and lower export of nitrate from agricultural soils) and increased instream denitrification, and should increase the average phosphorus concentration by 12% by the 2050s in the Lower Thames, due to a reduction of the effluent dilution capacity of the river flow. However, the results of this study also show that these long-term climatic alterations are likely to lead to a reduction in the arable land in the Thames, replaced by improved grassland, due to a decrease in agriculture profitability in the UK. Taking into account the dynamic co-evolution of land use with climate, the average nitrate concentration is expected to be decreased by around 6% by the 2050s in both the upper and the lower Thames, following the model results, and the average phosphorus concentration increased by 13% in the upper Thames and 5% in the lower Thames. On the long term (2080s), nitrate is expected to decrease by 9% and 8% (upper and lower Thames respectively) and phosphorus not to change in the upper thames and increase by 5% in the lower Thames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment dynamics of lowland rivers are of importance in building resilient strategies to manage environmental change. Yet the effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on sediment dynamics are poorly understood. Here a low-frequency suspended sediment sampling data set is used to assess the spatial and temporal variations of suspended sediment fluxes in the River Thames (United Kingdom). Sediment rating curves (SRCs) were used to analyze both the spatial and the temporal variation of catchment-suspended sediment transport. SRC exponents for the River Thames were found to be between 0.21 and 1.13. The 95% confidence interval was also determined through a bootstrapping technique. The seasonal and interannual variability of SRC parameters were analyzed to reveal seasonal and secular changes. The results are used to quantify the seasonal flushing effect, in which suspended sediment concentrations are typically substantially higher during the first floods after the summer dry period. The suspended sediment concentrations of the River Thames during the first floods after summer are estimated to be around 1.5-2 times those of other floods, for a given water discharge. A decrease in the flushing effect which began in the 1990s is observed (around 50% of its original magnitude), which may be attributable to changes in catchment and river channel management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some organic pollutants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) have been banned from production and use in the UK for > 30 years but due to their toxicity and persistence are still of concern. However, due to their hydrophobicity they are present at very low concentrations and are difficult to measure in water, and so other matrices need to be sampled in order to best assess contamination. This study measured concentrations of ΣICES 7 PCBs (PCB congeners 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180) and Σ6 PBDEs (PBDE congeners 28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154) and HCB in both bed-sediments and wild roach (a common pelagic fish) in the Thames Basin. The highest sediment concentrations were detected in an urbanised tributary of the Thames, The Cut at Bracknell (HCB: 0.03–0.40 μg/kg dw; ICES 7 PCBs: 4.83–7.42 μg/kg dw; 6 BDEs: 5.82–23.10 μg/kg dw). When concentrations were expressed on a dry weight basis, the fish were much more contaminated than the sediments, but when sediment concentrations were normalised to organic carbon concentration they were comparable to the fish lipid normalised concentrations. Thus, despite the variability in the system, both sediments and wild fish can be considered suitable for representing the level of POPs contamination of the river system given sufficient sample numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like many urban catchments, the River Thames in London is contaminated with plastics. This pollutant is recorded on the river banks, in the benthic environment and in the water column. The present study was conducted to assess the extent of microplastic ingestion in two River Thames fish species, the European flounder ( Platichthys flesus ) and European smelt ( Osmerus eperlanus ). Samples were collected from two sites in Kent, England; Erith and Isle of Grain/Sheppey, near Sheerness, with the latter being more estuarine. The results revealed that up to 75% of sampled European flounder had plastic fibres in the gut compared with only 20% of smelt. This difference may be related to their diverse feeding behaviours: European flounder are benthic feeders whilst European smelt are pelagic predators. The fibres were predominantly red or black polyamides and other fibres included acrylic, nylon, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate and there was no difference in occurrence between the sites sampled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic changed human behaviour worldwide, creating an increased demand for plastic, especially single-use plastic in the form of personal protective equipment. The pandemic also provided a unique situation for plastic pollution studies, especially microplastic studies. This study looks at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and three national lockdowns on microplastic abundance at five sites along the river Thames, UK, compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. This study took place from May 2019–May 2021, with 3-L water samples collected monthly from each site starting at Teddington and ending at Southend-on-Sea. A total of 4480 pieces, the majority of fibres (82.1 %), were counted using light microscopy. Lockdown 2 (November 2020) had the highest average microplastic total (27.1 L−1). A total of 691 pieces were identified via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Polyvinyl chloride (36.19 %) made up the most microplastics identified. This study documents changes in microplastic abundance before, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented event, as well as documenting microplastic abundance along the river Thames from 2019 to 2021. • 82.1 % (3679 pieces) of microplastics were fibres. • Covid-19 status significantly impacted microplastic abundance. • Average microplastic abundance was highest during Lockdown 2 (27.1 pieces L−1). • Microplastic abundance decreased from pre Covid-19 (2019) to post Covid-19 (2021). • The most commonly identified polymers were PVC, PS and PCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]