A SURVEY is taking place on Salisbury Plain training area to help protect the rare fairy shrimp population.
The project is attempting to establish the distribution of the fairy shrimp (Chirocephalus diaphanous) and identify areas of suitable habitat.
They have now been discovered on the east of the Plain, with previous records only indicating existence on the west.
The mysterious fairy shrimp is a translucent crustacean and occupies temporary pools.
It is protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and classified as vulnerable in the British Red Data Book.
The species are listed as a feature of the Salisbury Plain SSSI (Sites of Special and Scientific Interest).