Community science: invertebrate monitoring

Anstruther Improvements Association (AIA) coordinates a group of local volunteers, trained in the Riverfly Partnership’s national Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI).

The community science group carries out monthly invertebrate monitoring at two locations along the Dreel Burn. Volunteers are working with the University of St Andrews to collate a baseline survey which will feed into the Riverfly Partnership's national invertebrate monitoring programme. The AIA is part of the Guardians of the Rivers Initiative, coordinated by Buglife.

Riverflies are sensitive to pollution and changes on their river, so monitoring their presence, abundance and diversity on a regular basis can be used to assess the water quality of a river and act quickly if an issue is identified.