The study analyzed records of all fish species living on the UK continental shelf. Researchers found that over half contribute to bioturbation through various behaviors, including foraging, burrowing, and nest building. To calculate each species’ bioturbation impact score, the team considered the different ways fish rework sediment, the size of the fish, and the frequency of these activities.

Among the key species identified was the European eel, which burrows into sediment and earned a bioturbation score of 100 out of 125. Critically endangered and primarily caught using traps and fyke nets, the European eel faces climate change, disease, habitat loss, pollution, and fishing threats.

Similarly, the Atlantic cod, a vertical excavator with a bioturbation score 100, is classified as vulnerable. Popularly consumed in dishes like fish and chips, cod populations have declined sharply in regions like the North Sea.