Innovative idea helps out Mother Nature from afar

Ecologists create fish doorbell website to help with migration

If you want to help some of our fish friends, there’s a cool way to do it … and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own couch.

Pop open your computer and visit this website: https://visdeurbel.nl/en/the-fish-doorbell/ – and if you see a fish, ring the virtual doorbell.

The website is called the Fish Doorbell, and it’s a very simple solution for a somewhat complex problem.

In the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands, there is a canal system, which has a set of dams to control the canal’s water levels.

According to the New York Times, in 2020, ecologist Mark van Heukelum noticed a group of fish had gathered outside a boat lock at the entrance to the city’s canal system.

In the spring, the boat lock is closed – yet that’s when the fish are trying to make their way through to spawn upstream, the Times reported.

So van Heukelum and ecologist Anne Nijs installed an underwater camera to watch for congregating fish. Every time the doorbell is clicked, the system takes a photo which is then reviewed by the ecologists. When enough fish gather, the ecologists send a group of city employees to open the lock, the Times reports.

Now, some of you might be wondering why these ecologists would go to such lengths.

The Fish Doorbell website says there’s a variety of reasons.

First, the fish help keep the water healthy and clean, and the ecologists want to show how much life is in the canals.

The doorbell helps fish in their annual trek to find a place to spawn and reproduce, and at the same time, the doorbell also provides information on the species and numbers of fish traveling through Utrecht’s waterways.

Nijs and van Heukelum also provide regular updates about the fish on the website in a section called Fishtalk. They note they’ve seen a new species on the camera recently, and also what appears to be a Koi Carp.

It’s fascinating to think that we can help fish on their migration trek, sitting 5,540 miles away in Yuma. But that’s ultimately what makes this so cool. Thanks to a creative approach by ecologists, we can all participate – and we can all learn a little something along the way.

If you’re curious, readers, Nijs and van Heukelum note the water temperatures are reaching the “magical number” for fish to migrate, which means traffic should be picking up.

Visit the Fish Doorbell, and give those fishes a helping hand!

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