River science laboratory

The River Science Laboratory (RSL) supports our experimental research at the interface of river geomorphology, freshwater ecology and open-channel hydraulics.

It houses two 10m long, tilting, glass-sided flumes (one 300mm wide, one 600mm wide) capable of recirculating fine sediment and with a variable-speed sediment feed system. Instrumentation for measuring flow hydraulics and bed morphology includes a Dantec Particle Image Velocimetry system, Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters, and a traverse-mounted laser scanner.

A particular focus in the RSL is on interactions between living organisms, near-bed hydraulics and sediment transport. The lab is therefore equipped with suitable aquaria and environmental controls to ensure excellent husbandry of plants, fish, crustacea and invertebrates.

researcher working with fish in the flume
Ecogeomorphology and ecohydraulics
a researcher working in the River Science Lab
Sediment transport
Students investigating the development of bedforms in sand-bed rivers
Undergraduate learning
  1. Sanders C.H., Rice, S.P., Wood, P.J., (2026) Interactive effects between burrowing crayfish and flow conditions increase riverbank erosion: A flume experiment. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 51 (5), e70301
  2. Nicholls, H., Sanders, C., Ryves, D.B., Baynes, E.R.C., Sheridan, K.J., Stanton, T. (2026) Flowing Fibers: Subsurface Sampling Is Key to Understanding Natural and Plastic Textile Fiber Pollution in Rivers. ACS EST Water 6, 1, 263–27
  3. Sanders H., Mason, R.J., Mills, D.N., Rice, S.P., (2022) Stabilization of fluvial bed sediments by invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis). Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 47 (14), 3259-3275
  4. Patel, C., Vadher, A.N., Mathers, K.L., Dwyer, C. and Wood, P.J., (2021) Body size affects the vertical movement of benthic amphipods through subsurface sediments in response to drying. Hydrobiologia, 848: 1015-1025.
  5. Sanders H, Rice SP, Wood PJ. (2021) , Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 46: 837–852
  6. Vettori, D., Marjoribanks, T.I. (2021) Temporal Variability and Within-Plant Heterogeneity in Blade Biomechanics Regulate Flow-Seagrass Interactions of Zostera marina. Water Resources Research 57(3): e2020WR027747
  7. Beatty, C., Mathers, K.L., Patel, C., Constable, D. and Wood, P.J., 2020. Substrate mediated predator–prey interactions between invasive crayfish and indigenous and non-native amphipods. Biological Invasions, 22(9), pp.2713-2724.
  8. Mckenzie, M, Mathers, K.L., Wood, P.J., England, J., Forster, I., Lawler, D. and Wilkes, M (2020). Physical effects of suspended fine sediment on lotic macroinvertebrates. Hydrobiologia. 8467, 697-711
  9. Vettori D, Rice SP (2020) , Journal of Ecohydraulics, 5: 71-83
  10. Han X, Fang H, Johnson MF, Rice SP (2019) , Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 124: 1939-1957
  11. Mason R, Rice SP, Wood PJ, Johnson MF (2019) , Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 44: 2510-2525
  12. Mathers K, Rice SP, Wood PJ (2019) , Ecosphere
  13. Clinton, K.E., Mathers, K.L., Constable, D., Gerrard, C. and Wood, P.J. (2018) Substrate preferences of coexisting invasive amphipods, Dikerogammarus villosus and Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, under field and laboratory conditions. Biological Invasions. 20, 2187-2196
  14. Cooper J, Ockelford A, Rice SP, Powell DM. (2018)  Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 43, 943–955
  15. Pledger AG, Rice SP, Millett J. (2017) . Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 122: 2105–2123
  16. Powell DM, Ockelford A, Rice SP, Hillier JK, Nguyen T, Reid I, Tate NJ, Ackerley D. (2016)  Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface, 121: 1494–1515
  17. Pledger AG, Rice SP, Millet J. (2016) . Geomorphology 253: 83-93
  18. Pledger AG, Rice SP, Millet J. (2014) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 39: 1500-1513
  19. Rice SP, Buffin-Bélanger T, Reid I. (2014) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms39: 184–199
  20. Johnson, M.F., Rice, S.P. and Reid, I. 2014. The activity of signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in relation to thermal and hydraulic dynamics of an alluvialstream, UK.  Hydrobiologia 724, 41-54, DOI: 10.1007/s10750-013-1708-1
  21. Nord, G., Gallart, F., Montserrat, S., Reid, I., Vachtman, D., Latron, J., Martin Vide J.P. and Laronne J.B.   Applicability of acoustic Doppler devices for flow velocity measurements and discharge estimation in flows with sediment transport.  Journal of Hydrology 509, 504-518, DOI: 10.1016/j.hydrol.2013.11.020
  22. Rice, S.P., Johnson, M.F. and Reid, I. 2012. Animals and the geomorphology of gravel-bed rivers.  In: M. Church, P.M. Biron & A Roy (eds.) Gravel-bed Rivers: Processes, Tools, Environments, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 225-241, ISBN: 978-0-470-68890-8
  23. Johnson MF, Rice SP and Reid I. (2011) (Pacifastacus leniusculus). Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 36: 1680-1692
  24. Johnson MF, Rice SP and Reid I. (2010) (Pacifastacus leniusculus). Geomorphology 123: 269-278
  25. Oldmeadow DF, Lancaster J and Rice SP. (2010) . Freshwater Biology 55: 1020-1035
  26. Rice, S.P., Buffin-Bélanger, T., Lancaster, J. and Reid, I. 2008.  Movements of a macroinvertebrate (Potamophylax latipennis) across a gravel-bed substrate: effects of local hydraulics and micro-topography under increasing discharge.  In: Habersack, H., Piegay, H. and Rinaldi, M. (eds.) Gravel-bed rivers VI: from process understanding to river restoration.  Elsevier, B.V, 637-660.  ISSN: 0928 2025.  DOI: 10.1016/S0928-2025(07)11152-4.
  27. Johnson, M.F., Reid, I., Rice, S.P. and Wood, P.J. 2009. Stabilisation of fine gravels by net-spinning caddisfly larvae.  Earth Surface Processes & Landforms 34, 413-23, doi: 10.1002/esp.1750
  28. Lancaster, J., Buffin-Bélanger, T., Reid, I. and Rice, S. 2006. Flow and substrate-mediated movement behaviour of a stream insect.  Freshwater Biology 51, 1053-1069, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2006.01554.x
  29. Buffin-Bélanger, T., Rice, S., Reid, I. and Lancaster, J. 2006. Spatial heterogeneity of near-bed hydraulics above a patch of river gravel.  Water Resources Research  doi: 10.1029/2005WR004070
  30. Buffin-Bélanger, T., Reid, I., Rice, S., Chandler, J.H. & Lancaster, J. 2003. A casting procedure for reproducing coarse-grained sediment surfaces.  Earth Surface Processes & Landforms 28, 787-796.
  31. Chandler, J.H., Buffin-Belanger, T., Rice, S., Reid, I. and Graham, D.J. 2003. The accuracy of a river bed moulding/casting system and the effectiveness of a low-cost digital camera for recording river bed fabric.  Photogrammetric Record 18, 209-223.
  • British Society for Geomorphology
  • Environment Agency
  • European Commission
  • NERC
  • David Oldmeadow. 2005. Patch-specific disturbance –a geomorphic framework in streams
  • Matthew Johnson. 2011. An experimental investigation of the interactions between crayfish activity, fine sedimentation and gravel-bed stability
  • Andrew Pledger. 2015. Zoogeomorphology of selected UK freshwater fish
  • James Smith. 2019. Ecosystem engineering by Bream in lowland rivers
  • Kate Mathers. 2017. Signal crayfish impacts on fauna and fine sediment dynamics in lowland rivers
  • Richard Mason. 2020. The zoogeomorphology of case-building caddisfly larvae.
  • Harry Sanders. 2020. Biotic and abiotic controls of burrowing by signal crayfish and the implications for sediment recruitment to rivers.
  • Bethany Worley. Biocontrol of invasive crayfish using European eels and the implications for river geomorphology and flood risk (EA), expected 2021
  • Cathrine Beatty - Substrate mediated predator-prey interactions between the invasive Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus, Dana 1852) and two non-native and one native species of amphipod from freshwater systems in the Midlands, UK.
  • Charlie Patel - The influence of drying, substrate and head size on the use of the hyporheic zone by native and non-native amphipods
  • Kelly Clinton - Field distribution and substrate preferences of the invasive ‘Killer’ and ‘Demon’ shrimps (Dikerogammarus villosus and Dikerogammarus haemobaphes) in a lowland reservoir
  • Harley Nicholls - Flowing Fibres: An experimental investigation into the influence of fibre type and flow conditions on microfibre transport in rivers.
  • Henry Moody – Validating an artificial intelligence imaging system for the monitoring of plastic in the environment.
  • Xu Han, PhD student (Tsinghua University, China) working with Matt Johnson (University of Nottingham) on biogenic bedforms
  • Dan Mills, PhD student, (Kings, London) who worked on an experimental chapter in his thesis, 'Ecological impacts of a new invasive species in UK rivers the quagga mussel, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (Bivalva: Dreissenidae; Andrusov 1897)'
  • Alistair Delboyer (University of Nottingham) working with Matthew Johnson on thermal plumes in turbulent flows
  • Dr Lindsey Albertson (Montana State University) working with Prof. Stephen Rice (Manchester Metropolitan University), Prof. Paul Wood and Dr. Kate Mathers on a Fulbright Scholarship looking at ecosystem engineering and invasive species.