The central Dutch city of Utrecht has installed a "fish doorbell" on a river lock that lets viewers of an online livestream alert authorities to fish being held up as they make their springtime migration to shallow spawning grounds. The AP explains:
- Simple idea: An underwater camera at Utrecht's Weerdsluis lock sends live footage to a website. When somebody watching the site sees a fish, they can click a button that sends a screenshot to organizers. When they see enough fish, they alert a water worker, who opens the lock to let the fish swim through.
- See it: You can watch for yourself here. But be warned: Much of the time, the screen is just a murky green with occasional bubbles, though sometimes a fish swims past. As the water warms up, more fish show up.
- Popular: Now in its fifth year, the site has attracted millions of viewers from around the world with its quirky mix of slow TV and ecological activism.
- The need: Without the help, native freshwater fish like bream, pike, and bass can become backed up behind the lock and form easy prey for predators in the spring, when the lock is rarely opened for passing boats.
- The idea: The bell is the brainchild of ecologist and concept developer Mark van Heukelum. He's been happily surprised at the response, with millions of people from around the world tuning in over the years. "I guess the combination of a good cause, a beautiful story, and just a simple idea generates all this attention," he says.
(If fish aren't your fancy, another livestream
follows two adult bald eagles and their hatchlings.)
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