Filmmaker and ocean explorer Barny Dillarstone has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to dropping cameras to the bottom of the ocean and inland bodies of water in the hope of unearthing new species and secrets of the deep.
I’ve reported on his adventurous exploits before, like when he used a cheap underwater camera to record a deep-sea creature that had likely never been filmed alive before. But in one of his latest videos, he dropped a night-vision camera into London’s famous River Thames and ended up inadvertently filming two invasive species.
The citizen scientist used a night-vision camera attached to a specialist cage in which to house various stinky-looking types of bait. This rig was then lowered into the depths using a simple rope system. Unfortunately, the notoriously murky water made visibility extremely poor. The first two drops were performed in the heart of the city, but for the third and fourth series of drops, Barny traced the river towards the fringes of the city and set off in a row boat.
It was here that he encountered the first invasive species, a signal crayfish, which hails from North America and was introduced in the ‘60s. Barny explains that these big and brash crustaceans outcompete native species and can cause riverbank corrosion.
It’s at the final location that he encounters a Chinese mitten crab, and it’s the same story as the signal crayfish in that it’s upsetting the river’s ecosystem by outcompeting rivals and eroding river banks. Make sure you watch the full video to find out what other species Barny encounters, including a giant river fish and an apex predator.
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Want more from Barny? YouTuber dropped a night vision camera into the ocean – and managed to get the first footage of an elusive shark. And for more camera trap news: Over 300 custom-made camera traps spread across an area the size of Cape Verde make important wildlife discoveries. Plus, here's the latest camera news.
