Although eels are part of our culture for thousands of years, mankind still does not understand this mysterious creature. Aristole thought eels emerge from the mud. Pliny the Elder thought eels reproduced by rubbing in to stones. A variaty of scientist have worked for their entire lifetimes on enlarging the knowledge of this wonderfull fish..
First in 1923 a Danish Biologist found the smallest larvea in the Sargosso Sea and scientist remain convinced that the spawning of the eel takes place in that vast area of the Atlantic south of Bermuda. To be the first to witness this wild spawing remains a dream of many conservationists and researchers.
Determining the international stock of anguillid eels is difficult due to its dispersed distribution its nocturnal and secretive behaviours resulting in limited data and the poor understanding of the relationship between recruitment, freshwater populations, and escapement. A large number of questions are open and unanswered so scientist have to investigate more on eel and to develop a broader understanding and knowledge.
Eels have been arround 100 million years. They have survived ice ages and adpted to huge climatic and continental scale changes. The questions how they survive and what mankind needs to do to bring the eel back to super levels of abundance is why ESA-members are initiating and financing scientific research.
Examples of scientific research are: research for the reproduction of eels in captivity, research on food for larvea, research on survival, research on behavior at sluices, research on movement of silvers, data collection and studies of that data.
ESF makes it possible for Universities to investigate the eel.