With staff based in based in Perthshire, Edinburgh and Argyll, Trex Ecology have provided specialist, independent services which focus on the freshwater environment since 2014. In 2021, we transitioned to a limited company.
We have experience in designing and implementing river surveys for a range of ecology receptors, sectors, clients and purposes, ensuring at all stages project risk is minimised. We are highly skilled at navigating the often-complex series of licenses and permissions needed when undertaking projects within Scottish waterways, working with clients to ensure all relevant permissions and licenses have been applied for with appropriate information.
This includes assisting with Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR) license applications to SEPA, obtaining permissions from local District Salmon Fishery Boards, and ensuring projects within protected areas adhere to relevant guidance.
We are fortunate to be involved in research projects alongside several partners. This includes assessing fish communities’ responses to river restoration on the Eddleston Water within the Tweed Catchment; undertaking catchment scale freshwater pearl mussel assessments for NatureScot using established and novel survey methods; and previously leading an expert project team from academia, Fisheries Trusts and industry in assessing the suitability of stocking Atlantic salmon into the River Dee.
A pdf summary of our capabilities can be downloaded
Tommy McDermott established Trex Ecology in 2014 following previous roles as university Research Associate and Senior Ecology positions with two leading UK based aquatic consultancies. His key interests lie in the relationships between habitat quality and aquatic species.
Since 2014 Tommy has assisted a range of clients including regulatory agencies, consultancy companies, utility, construction and infrastructure groups, and wildlife trusts and charities with aquatic ecology guidance and assessment services. These services have included pre planning EIA and baseline ecology assessments, technical guidance on fish passage and river restoration programmes including scoping and options assessment, research in collaboration with a range of partners, and assessment method development.
He is a fully accredited electrofishing Team Leader and beaver surveyor, has held a pearl mussel license since 2016 and is a full member of the Institute of Fisheries Management.
Diane has over twenty years’ experience of project management and delivery in the conservation, environmental and sustainability sectors. She spent ten years in the Ministry of Defence involved in the delivery of environmental appraisals and development of strategic land management plans in support of military operations and infrastructure projects, after which she took up a position with the West Cumbria Rivers Trust delivering practical actions to conserve and protect of one of Europe’s most important pearl mussel populations.
Diane is Trex Ecology’s pearl mussel lead, holding a license since 2013. She has undertaken pearl mussel surveys to inform and prioritise catchment management plans and has also managed and delivered a range of habitat improvement projects to promote the sustainable recruitment of pearl mussels.
Diane has trained and led teams to undertake mussel surveys for pre and post-development projects, such as, weir removal, bridge repairs and green engineering projects and advises project managers on mitigation strategies. Diane also has eight years experience of assessing pearl mussel brooding status and undertaking the interesting process of bankside artificial encystment to help boost numbers of juvenile mussels.
She is also a fully qualified electrofishing team member and a Practitioner Member of the IEMA.
Rory has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Resource Management from SRUC and recently completed a master’s degree in wildlife biology and Conservation at Edinburgh Napier University, where he graduated with distinction in 2020. Here he refined his GIS capabilities, survey and identification skills. GIS has been a key competence for much of his academic career as both his undergraduate and postgraduate relied heavily on GIS to assess various population dynamics. These skills are used to provide GIS and survey support.
Prior to joining Trex Ecology full time he assisted with habitat assessment and pearl mussel surveys while completing his masters. Alongside his freshwater experience, he has a season of experience carrying out a range of bat surveys, including dusk/dawns, potential roost assessments and transect surveys.
Rory has a wide range of interests when it comes to ecology, but he is particularly keen on freshwater ecosystems. Beaver and freshwater pearl mussel have been of particular interest. His undergraduate project was focused on modelling the potential population size and extent of beavers along the River Tay.
He is keen to build upon this research and study the interactions between beaver and freshwater pearl mussels in Scotland. Rory is also currently undertaking an accredited Fishery Management certificate course through the Institute of Fisheries Management.
