Beneath the Surface: What Lives in Our Rivers (and What’s Killing It)

In this episode, Dave and Claire are joined by freshwater filmmaker Mark (Beneath British Waters) Barrow, a man who has spent over 35 years documenting life beneath the surface of the UK’s rivers.What begins as a conversation about filmmaking quickly becomes something more urgent: a first-hand account of how dramatically our rivers have changed—and not for the better.Mark shares how his early experiences in the 1990s, surrounded by hundreds of fish in crystal-clear water, contrast starkly with today’s reality—where he now struggles to find life and increasingly finds himself filming pollution instead.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:A hidden worldWhy most people have no idea what actually lives beneath the surface of their local rivers—and why that matters.From abundance to declineMark’s observations of disappearing fish populations, vanishing mayfly hatches, and the slow degradation of river ecosystems over decades.Pollution in all its formsNot just sewage, but chemical runoff, pharmaceuticals, road pollution, and even pet treatments—creating a toxic cocktail affecting aquatic life.The warning signs we’re ignoringHow invertebrates act as the “canary in the coal mine” for river health—and why their disappearance is deeply concerning.Filming in extreme conditionsFrom diving in polluted waters to capturing the shocking reality of sewage outflows—what it takes to document the truth.Henley and the River ThamesA preview of a new micro-documentary exploring what lies beneath one of the UK’s most iconic stretches of river—connecting rowing heritage with underwater reality.Why storytelling mattersHow film can shift perception, inspire action, and make the invisible visible.Key TakeawaysRivers are not just recreational spaces—they are critical ecosystems supporting all life.The UK’s freshwater environments are under sustained pressure and, in many places, declining.Much of the damage is out of sight—and therefore out of mind.Restoring rivers requires a shift in perspective: from human use to ecological health first.“If that same amount of pollution was flowing down the street in Henley, there’d be an uproar. But because it’s in a river, it gets ignored.”Why This Episode MattersThis is not an abstract environmental discussion. It’s a grounded, visual, and deeply human account of what’s happening to rivers across the UK—told by someone who has spent decades inside them.And it raises a simple but uncomfortable question:If we can’t see what’s happening beneath the surface, how can we expect to protect it?Follow & ShareIf this episode changes how you see rivers, share it.Because awareness is the first step towards restoring what we’re losing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.