Fish continue to flourish in saltmarsh habitat

The saltmarsh has maintained its high diversity of species for a second year

Fish are thriving for a second year in a saltmarsh created to offset industrial impact.

Surveys were carried out by the Environment Agency (EA) at Greatham, Teesside, which was created to restore habitats, so migratory fish that had been absent for hundreds of years could return.

Last year's survey recorded the highest diversity of species since monitoring began, and that was maintained this year, the EA said.

Flounders, herring, thin-lipped grey mullet and more than 1,000 healthy crabs were among those species found.

The Tees estuary is one of the most industrialised in the UK, according to the EA.

The saltmarsh was completed six years ago as part of the Greatham North managed realignment scheme and the Port Clarence and Greatham South Flood Alleviation Scheme, to restore habitats which had been lost in the creation of flood defences.

Flounders were amongst the fish identified in the survey

The monitoring work, which began in 2021, is part of Tees Tidelands, a £30m programme of work to realign flood defences, restore mudflat and saltmarsh habitat.

Anthony Crook, environment monitoring officer for the EA, said the results were a "great indication" the Tees Tidelands work would "make a difference for generations to come".

"There's still a lot of investigation to do as these sites continue to develop and evolve," he said.