Schoolchildren to take part in wildlife rescue mission at Canoe Lake ahead of improvement work
Crabs will be released into the sea this week
Schoolchildren will embark on an extraordinary educational experience as they take part in a wildlife rescue project ahead improvement work at Canoe Lake.
Students from Ark Ayrton Primary Academy and Bramble Infant and Nursery School will rescue and relocate crabs from the lake on Wednesday (October 14) before excess sediment is removed to improve the water quality.
Councillor Lee Hunt, cabinet member for community safety, leisure and sport said: "Canoe Lake is one of Portsmouth's most loved open spaces and an important habitat for a variety of wildlife.
"This project is a great example of organisations coming together to care for the local environment while giving young people the opportunity to get involved in hands-on conservation work.
"The crab rescue will help protect wildlife while we carry out an important trial to better understand how we can improve the long-term health of the lake."
Using hook-free crab lines and pots, the children will help collect crabs from the lake before they are safely released back into the sea. Experts from the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Marine Sciences will identify and measure the crabs, providing ecological data that supports ongoing research into the health of local marine environments.
Studies of the lake have shown that sediment has built up over many years, making parts of the lake shallower and contributing to water quality issues and seasonal algae growth. The results of the trial will help inform future management of the lake.
Professor Alex Ford from the University of Portsmouth said: “It’s great to be working with the council, not only in rescuing the crabs but providing an opportunity for school children to engage in marine biology. This project will allow them to generate their own data to use in class for a wide range of subjects.”