Seahorses, eels, seals, and sharks now call London’s famous Thames river home. This was discovered during a recent river ‘health check’. This is delightful news, as the Thames river was declared ‘biologically dead’ in 1957, 64 years ago.
According to a survey done by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the 346-kilometer-long river contains three types of sharks. They are tope, starry smooth-hound, and spurdog, as well as 115 species of fish and fauna.
In its State of the Thames report, the ZSL stated, “Today, the river is a thriving ecosystem home to myriad wildlife as diverse as London itself”. The study examines the Thames in detail from the 1950s to the present day.
In 2020, ZSL initiated the Greater Thames Shark Project to gather information on the vulnerable shark species that inhabit the estuary’s outer reaches.
Tope sharks can reach a length of more than six feet and live for more than 50 years. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the species is critically endangered all over the world.
Spurdog is also famous as the “venomous shark”. A venom is secreted by the spine in front of the two dorsal fins. It can cause discomfort and swelling in humans. It can only be found in deep water.
The Thames is vital to the towns that surround it because it provides drinking water, food, and even protection from coastal flooding.
The ZSL was pleased with the living types discovered in the river. But it also stated that the Thames confronts challenges due to climate change and pollution.
The charity, which is dedicated to wildlife conservation around the world, stated in its research that the temperature of the Thames is rising by 0.2 degrees Celsius on an annual basis.