Channel bed materials

This parameter is part of the newly defined UK National Protocol as part of CaSTCo. This description is preliminary and will be updated shortly.

The channel bed is home to a wide variety of animals including aquatic invertebrates, this also makes it an important habitat for fish to spawn and for animals to find food. Recording the type of substrate and any changes over time helps us to understand some aspects of the health of your survey site. We ask that you only tick up to three boxes in this section, to capture the most common bottom types.