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COLLECTING WATER SAMPLES The eDNA water sampling aims to provide new information about fish species distribution and presence and quantify the changes a dam makes on a river . The kayakers carried a basic set of sampling tools in their boats and stopped at predetermined locations to collect water samples . Using a water pump powered by a household drill machine , they pushed river water through a special filter that a crew of ichthyofauna specialists would later analyze in the lab for the presence of fish DNA ( isolated from particles of skin , scale , and faeces ), to get a clear picture about the fish diversity in the threatened and last free-flowing section of the Slovenian Sava .
The Sava is integral to Europe ’ s greater freshwater ecosystem and home to Natura 2000 and IUCN Red List species . It is the largest
tributary ( by volume ) to Europe ’ s second-largest river , the Danube . And it is a river that connects four Balkan countries , providing drinking water to major cities and water for agriculture , industry and long-standing traditions and lifestyles . Humans have an impact on rivers , and rivers impact humans . There is no denying this . But paddling under castles , past hundred-year-old stone houses and through villages and towns that rely on the Sava , it is clear that those still connected to the river still have respect for her and that a strong natural , traditional and historical connection exists .
These people depend on the Sava for food production , industry , drinking water and tradition . And they are the ones who will lose their farmland and tourism agencies if these dams are built . They are active members of society , not