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Departmental staff have been involved in consultancy work and environmental projects for many years prior to the establishment of EUREKA. Some examples of these projects are detailed below;

Terrestrial

Essex & Suffolk Dormouse project

Dr McMellor has been involved with surveying Essex woodlands for the Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)- a European Protected Species, for several years with the Essex & Suffolk dormouse project. The surveys utilise nut search, dormouse nest boxes and dormouse nest tubes to identify presence/absence and monitor population size and health.

Ecological survey of Wivenhoe Park

Wivenhoe Park is a historic parkland habitat near Colchester, Essex made famous in the paintings of John Constable. Little was previously known about the ecology of the park, but surveys implemented by EUREKA identified water shrew, grass snake, common lizard, little owl, barn owl, three bat species and over 50 species of moth.

SSSI Water quality analysis

Water samples were analysed for Essex Wildlife Trust to monitor the condition of a coastal grazing marsh SSSI. Samples were analysed in the University labs and checked for nutrients and pollutants.

Marine

Ras Mohammed coral reef monitoring, Egypt

Dr McMellor acted as special advisor to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and designed and implemented a coral reef monitoring programme for the world renowned Ras Mohammed National Park in Egypt. The role involved surveying the reef benthos and fish communities to identify change (and recovery from a Crown of Thorns starfish outbreak) and training EEAA park rangers in reef survey and assessment techniques.

Determining faecal contamination in shell fisheries, Essex

Work was undertaken by the Department to quantify levels of faecal contamination in the waters of the Colne estuary, Essex to determine sources of faecal contaminants in the water column and in shellfish.

Reefball coral reef rehabilitation project, Thailand

Dr McMellor acted as an advisor and coral identification expert for a coral reef rehabilitation project on Koh Racha Yai, Thailand after the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami. The project included artificially rebuilding reefs and seeding with a diverse range of coral species and other sessile reef invertebrates.

Environmental

Faecal pollution indicators in Brightlingsea Creek, Essex

A study was undertaken to identify an unknown point source of pollution in Brightlingsea Creek, Essex.

Review of effects of power station cooling water chlorination

A review of the current scientific literature relating to the effects of chlorinated cooling water discharge from nuclear power stations and their ecological effects was undertaken for Colchester Borough Council in relation to the proposed new build nuclear power station at Bradwell, Essex.