Biologists and bio-engineers from KU Leuven are currently taking part in a so-called ‘’BioBlitz. During the BioBlitz, as many animal and plant species as possible are mapped out in a certain place and within a certain time span. In Leuven, this is happening on the Arenberg campus, where the River Dijle and the castle ponds are being searched for different species of fish living there. Some 1,100 species have been discovered.
"At the moment, we are fishing the Dijle and a tributary to see what fish species live here," Filip Volckaert, professor of biodiversity conservation at KU Leuven, tells VRT. "This research is part of the BioBlitz, an initiative of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, in which a total of 17 educational institutions in Europe are participating. From 22 May, Biodiversity Day, until 30 June, universities and volunteers survey the fauna and flora on their campuses. In Leuven, we are doing this at the Arenberg campus."
"The idea is to make an inventory of all the species to visualise the ecosystem," says Volckaert. "We do that by counting species and mapping their population and their demographics. We also try to investigate the differences within a population: that could signify the beginning of an evolution."
Since the start of the BioBlitz in Leuven, some 400 volunteers discovered 1,100 species. "Today in a tributary of the River Dijle, we discovered three different species of fish, including two different species of stickleback, the three-spined and the ten-spined. All this shows that the water quality is good."
Volunteers at Leuven University enjoyed this year’s exercise so much they are hoping for a repeat next year.