About Us

Bywater Ecology is a small consultancy, formed in 2007, offering a range of ecological services specialising in the aquatic environment. The company is headed by Julie Bywater with over 20 years of experience in ecological work including 17 years with the Environment Agency and its predecessors, specialising in the aquatic environment.

Technical experience and skills include:

  • Aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys; sampling, sorting, family & species identification and analysis with Identification Qualifications (IdQ) in macroinvertebrate families & species identification

  • Crayfish surveys; species level identification and advice, knowledge of biology and habitat requirements, and rescues for works in or affecting rivers, licensed by Natural England to undertake native crayfish surveys

  • Aquatic macrophyte surveys; Fully accredited in aquatic macrophyte species identification experienced in standard methodologies including MTR, and accredited in species level identification

  • River Habitat Survey; accredited surveyor attending regular refresher exams & assisted with the England & Wales baseline survey

  • Standard sampling methods utilized; knowledge of macroinvertebrate, macrophyte, crayfish and river habitat survey techniques

  • Good project management skills, self motivation and organisation skills

  • Lead Contact for the native crayfish UK Biodiversity Action Plan until 2006

  • Proficient report writing & use of Microsoft Office suite

Publications

Sibley, P.J., Brickland, J.H. and Bywater, J.A., 2002. Monitoring the Distribution of Crayfish in England and Wales. Bull. Fr. Peche Piscic., 367, 833-844.

Bywater, J.A., Brickland, J.H. and Sibley, P.J., 2002. Austropotamobious pallipes-the white-clawed crayfish Biodiversity Steering Group in; Holdich and Sibley, 2003 Management & Conservation of Crayfish. Environment Agency, Bristol, pp 139.

Project Management Examples

  • 1998 The impact of signal crayfish on the macroinvertebrate fauna of the River Thame

  • 2000 The control/eradication of alien crayfish species Phase I, in partnership with English Nature

  • 2002 The control/eradication of alien crayfish species Phase II in partnership with English Nature

  • 2002 Habitat requirements of the white clawed crayfish in partnership with English Nature

  • 2005 The impact of trapping signal crayfish on population structure and the impact of signal crayfish on macroinvertebrate fauna of part of the Thames catchment