Any peatland worth its moss knows how to keep your feet wet. The water table should be hanging out just below the surface year-round. A stable hydrological system keeps the vegetation cover in peak bog condition, and that lush growth does the heavy lifting: locking away carbon and keeping the bog in the business of soaking up more than just rain. 

A clear sign of a wet, healthy peatland is the presence of perennial natural bog pools. These pools contribute to regulating the peatland’s role in the global carbon budget and provide important breeding habitat for a range of invertebrates, as well as a reliable water source for wading birds and small mammals.

However, after many decades of human interference, peatlands’ ability to retain water has declined significantly, leaving many upland areas as mere shadows of their former boggy selves. Once a bog dries out, things go peat-shaped: erosion increases, plant diversity drops, and ultimately, more carbon is released into the atmosphere. 

Restoring damaged peatlands can help them soak up more carbon dioxide from the air and store it in plants and soil. This changes the whole ecosystem—affecting which plants grow and how the water chemistry works—which then impacts how peatlands take in and release greenhouse gases. Blocking drains can create open water pools, which might turn into ‘hotspots’ where carbon moves between soil, water, and air. That could mean more greenhouse gas emissions from the peatland. With global warming on the rise, it’s really important to understand how restoration methods affect peatlands’ long-term carbon balance—are we doing the job right, and if not, how can we make it better?

Yorkshire Joins the Global Bog Pool Study

This is where Dr. Cat Moody from Leeds University steps in. Dr. Moody was awarded a NERC Independent Research Fellowship in 2023 to figure out how creating peatland pools affects the microbes living in the peat and water, and how greenhouse gas emissions change when degraded peatlands get restored. Her goal is to improve estimates of peatlands’ greenhouse gas budget and help guide future restoration projects. Through her scientific network, Dr. Moody has been collecting water and gas samples from natural and man-made bog pools all around the world.

But so far, there were no data from our very own Yorkshire bog pools… that is, until now. To support her research, YPP recently designed a sampling campaign to monitor bog pools in the Yorkshire Dales. With the assistance of Sarah Hunt, Research & Facilities Support Technician at Leeds University, we conducted a reconnaissance visit and identified 14 natural and artificial bog pools across two National Trust sites: Cray Moss and Fountains Fell.

Bog Pool Science: From Syringes to homemade Hovercraft

To complete her research, Dr. Moody will need to analyse bog water for its carbon and nutrient content, along with all sorts of tiny organisms. But what does bog pool sampling actually involve? Quite a bit, actually. At each pool, several things are measured: pH, water temperature, conductivity, pool size and depth, plus the weather conditions. Small water samples are collected for further lab analyses. Measuring some of the pool’s gas budget involves extracting dissolved gases on site using syringes and a set of three-way taps. Although it sounds complicated, it usually takes about 10 minutes to do—when the weather’s dry. Horizontal rain, though, can make things a bit trickier.

Live gas emissions are measured with what might be best described as a Bog Pool Hovercraft—a Tupperware container attached to a washing-up bowl that’s kept afloat by a swimming noodle. It sounds like a kids’ DIY project, but it works—and there’s definitely some electronics involved too.

Peat Patrol

This research project is also a fantastic chance to get more volunteers involved in peatland monitoring. The sampling campaign was designed to be a true citizen-led effort. Leeds University provides the necessary gear, YPP handles the logistics, and eight enthusiastic volunteers have signed up to join the fun. After a training session, they’re now fully equipped to tackle the tasks on their own. This gives local groups and communities a real chance to connect with the peatland right on their doorstep. Plus, it sparks a sense of pride and responsibility. 

The campaign started in July 2025 will run until next summer. Dr. Moody will share her findings in scientific publications, and we will keep informed in future blog posts. 

By combining research, local volunteers, and some clever science, we’re getting to know peatlands better and helping make sure they stay healthy and keep storing carbon well into the future.

Do you want to know more? Project page: Quantifying the impact of restoration on peatland aquatic organic matter | water@leeds

Dr. Cat Moody NERC IRF: Quantifying the impact of restoration on peatland aquatic organic matter, microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions - NE/X017923/1