For anyone fascinated by #freshwaters & river photography, check out this fantastic new exhibition – Encounters with the Calder – an exploration of the impact of human activity along West Yorkshire’s #River #Calder, by local photographer & riverfly monitor Jim Souper:
www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/en...
"Passion helps to inspire the next generation." - imagined advice from #international #freshwater #ecologist Dr. Kathleen Carpenter @aberuni.bsky.social
#IWD2026 #Wales #USA #Canada #ecology #rivers
@freshwaterblog.bsky.social @freshwaterbio.bsky.social
freshwaterblog.net/2016/03/08/k...
Are you keen to improve your identification skills of aquatic invertebrates? Read on!
We have a Sampling and Identifying #Freshwater #Invertebrates training opportunity, with John Davy-Bowker on 28 & 29 April, Grange-Over-Sands, #Cumbria.
Find out more & book today:
www.fba.org.uk/shop/p/sampl...
We are in awe of river ecosystems... so it was an absolute pleasure to catch up with Kurt Fausch to discover more about ‘A Reverence for Rivers: Imagining an Ethic for Running Waters’.
Join us for a dive into the inspiration & science that motivated Kurt’s latest book:
www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/a-...
When is a flea not a flea? Find the answer, and lots more freshwater updates, in the latest issue of FBA Voice!
Greetings friends! Our February issue of FBA Voice is out now! Full of freshwater updates we also pose that all important question... when is a flea not a flea? Any itching thoughts? Grab a cup of your preferred freshwater-based beverage & jump into the Voice to find out!
mailchi.mp/fba/welcome-...
This Microscope Monday 🔬 we invite you to marvel at a beautiful ventral view of a Daphnia (aka water flea). Here at FBA we absolutely love these amazing freshwater micro-crustaceans! Did you know that the Dutch naturalist and pioneering microscopist Jan Swammerdam (1637–1680) is credited as the first scientist to identify and describe water fleas? He also produced the earliest known detailed illustrations of the Daphnia water flea, which were published in his 1669 work Historia Insectorum Generalis (General History of Insects)... referring to the organism as Pulex aquaticus arborescens – "the water flea with the branching arms" – or according to Google translate... "water flea tree". How fabulous is that!? If you are intrigued by wee freshwater organisms, then you may like to check out our courses for 2026 and find out more about the wonderful world of freshwater biology.
This Microscope Monday 🔬 we present an adorable Daphnia.
Did you know that pioneering Dutch microscopist Jan Swammerdam (1637–1680) is credited as the first scientist to identify & describe #waterfleas? Referring to them as Pulex aquaticus arborescens: "the water flea with the branching arms". Fab!
We're super excited to share with you that the FBA 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting will take place at @edinburghnapier.bsky.social, on Thursday 11 June. Please save the date... we'd love you to join us in #Edinburgh!
Interested? Watch this space for more details & a call for #ASM2026 abstracts soon!
This @freshwaterbio.bsky.social #pond restoration training course 25th, 26th June is well worth attending. Learn how to restore degraded existing ponds & #ghostponds with Norfolk Ponds Project founders Carl Sayer & Helen Greaves:
www.fba.org.uk/shop/p/pond-...
This Microscope Monday 🔬 please allow us to introduce Pandorina morum... a species of #greenalgae with a delightfully mythological & fruity name!
Believed to be derived from a diminutive of Pandora & 'morum' meaning 'mulberry' in Latin. So roughly translates to "Little Pandora's Mulberry". Amazing!
Introducing our latest science article... A legacy of lead in a stormy future: the case of Ullswater in the English Lake District by Glen George. Today, England’s Lake District National Park is regarded as a rural idyll, but in the 18th and 19th centuries many remote valleys were industrial sites. Most were associated with the extractive industries, with copper being mined at Coniston and lead near Ullswater, England’s second largest lake. The environmental impacts of these past activities have declined over subsequent decades, but some have had long-term – and ongoing – consequences. Glen George is an Honorary Research Fellow with the FBA and holds visiting Professorships at Aberystwyth University and University College London. In this article, using the 1927 Greenside Mine disaster at Ullswater as a case study, he explains why the ongoing increase in the intensity of extreme weather events could lead to the re-emergence of water quality problems that were thought to have been resolved.
Our latest science article by Glen George... using the 1927 Greenside Mine disaster #Ullswater as a case study he explains why the increase in intensity of extreme weather could lead to the re-emergence of water quality problems that were thought to have been resolved:
www.fba.org.uk/articles/a-l...
Our December Data Roundup is here!
👏 Riverfly volunteers submitted 384 surveys across the UK! 🎉
#Riverfly #CitizenScience #Volunteers
Here at the FBA we love wetlands! We may have an idea of how wetlands feel but what sounds do they make?
We invite you to celebrate #WorldWetlandsDay with a delightful dive into ‘Flow.State’ with David de la Haye & be sonically submerged in a #WetlandsandCulture soundscape! 💙🎵💦
youtu.be/oTmmsfmxbek
For your #FreshwaterPearlMussel pleasure we present a new article: How do Swedish LIFE Projects reintroduce mussels?
Based on a presentation by Dr Sebastian L. Rock of Karlstad University, attended during a knowledge exchange trip to Sweden last year.
Find out more👇
www.fba.org.uk/articles/how...
It is with great pleasure that we're introducing our new board members! Last year we carried out an in-depth recruitment process for new FBA board members, and we are honoured to start 2026 with a very warm welcome to Gavin Sorby, Tracey Griffiths, Jennifer Dodd and Tim Boden. With a strengthened board we look forward to working together to inspire local and global action to protect freshwater ecosystems through science. This collective action is more urgent than ever! Special thanks... we would also like to express our deep gratitude to Professor Keith Bevan and Professor Michelle Jackson who have recently stepped down from the board, for all their support and input over the last few years.
It is with great pleasure that we're introducing our new board members! Last year we carried out an in-depth recruitment process for new FBA board members, and we are honoured to start 2026 with a very warm welcome to Gavin Sorby, Tracey Griffiths, Jennifer Dodd and Tim Boden. With a strengthened board we look forward to working together to inspire local and global action to protect freshwater ecosystems through science. This collective action is more urgent than ever! Special thanks... we would also like to express our deep gratitude to Professor Keith Bevan and Professor Michelle Jackson who have recently stepped down from the board, for all their support and input over the last few years.
It is with great pleasure that we're introducing our new board members! Last year we carried out an in-depth recruitment process for new FBA board members, and we are honoured to start 2026 with a very warm welcome to Gavin Sorby, Tracey Griffiths, Jennifer Dodd and Tim Boden. With a strengthened board we look forward to working together to inspire local and global action to protect freshwater ecosystems through science. This collective action is more urgent than ever! Special thanks... we would also like to express our deep gratitude to Professor Keith Bevan and Professor Michelle Jackson who have recently stepped down from the board, for all their support and input over the last few years.
It is with great pleasure that we're introducing our new board members! Last year we carried out an in-depth recruitment process for new FBA board members, and we are honoured to start 2026 with a very warm welcome to Gavin Sorby, Tracey Griffiths, Jennifer Dodd and Tim Boden. With a strengthened board we look forward to working together to inspire local and global action to protect freshwater ecosystems through science. This collective action is more urgent than ever! Special thanks... we would also like to express our deep gratitude to Professor Keith Bevan and Professor Michelle Jackson who have recently stepped down from the board, for all their support and input over the last few years.
It is with great pleasure that we're introducing our new board members! Extending a very warm welcome to Gavin Sorby, Tracey Griffiths, Jennifer Dodd & Tim Boden.
We look forward to working together to inspire action to protect #freshwater ecosystems through science.
www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/a-...
Welcome to the January FBA Voice... this issue has oodles of updates for your new year freshwater pleasure! We have insights from FBA's Pearl Mussel Officer Ben King, following a knowledge exchange trip to Sweden last year, where he joined Dr Sebastian Rock, a post doctorate researcher from Karlstad University, to discover how Swedish LIFE Projects reintroduce mussels. We're also super excited to introduce, and extend a very warm welcome to Gavin Sorby, Tracey Griffiths, Jennifer Dodd and Tim Boden, our new board members! With their skills and experience we look forward to working together to inspire local and global action to protect freshwater ecosystems through science. We highly recommend reading the science article from FBA Fellow Glen George... A legacy of lead in a stormy future: the case of Ullswater in the English Lake District. Using the 1927 Greenside Mine disaster at Ullswater as a case study, Glen explains why the ongoing increase in the intensity of extreme weather events could lead to the re-emergence of water quality problems that were thought to have been resolved. And if you, like us, are passionate about freshwater species conservation, check out our job opportunity! We’re looking for a dynamic leader to take on a truly rewarding role at the FBA's Species Recovery Centre. Interested? We'd love to hear from you! Please note that the closing date for applications is Monday 26 January. So on this rather damp January day we invite you to dive into the replenishing pond of FBA freshwater updates: https://mailchi.mp/fba/welcome-to-the-january-2026-issue-of-fba-voice
Welcome to the January FBA Voice... including insights from a #freshwaterpearlmussel knowledge exchange trip to Sweden, a warm welcome to our new board members... & much more!
So for your freshwater pleasure we invite you to dive into the replenishing pond of FBA updates:
mailchi.mp/fba/welcome-...
Please allow us to share with you a recent update from the FBA Ark!
In September 2025, the FBA concluded a year-long #FreshwaterPearlMussel ‘silo trial’, assessing whether the rivers Esk and Kent would be suitable for population reinforcements of juvenile #mussels. 👇
www.fba.org.uk/articles/sur...
🪰 #Freshwater Friday - A rare glimpse of a mayfly (Heptageniidae) moulting!
This stop-frame sequence shows a Heptageniidae shedding its exoskeleton - captured by our brilliant Riverfly volunteer Hilary. Just one of the many hidden stories happening beneath the water's surface.
#CitizenScience
Job opportunity! Are you passionate about freshwater species conservation? We’re looking for a dynamic leader to take on a truly rewarding role at the FBA's Species Recovery Centre. This is your opportunity to combine exceptional organisational skills with a love for species conservation in a varied and fascinating role. As the FBA lead for the EU LIFE-funded R4ever Kent project, you’ll play a pivotal role in supporting the R4ever Kent Programme Manager and wider project team to deliver FBA’s outcomes, and continue the exemplary conservation breeding work carried out by the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Ark since 2007. Interested? We'd love to hear from you! Closing date for applications is 26 January. Find out more and apply: https://www.fba.org.uk/species-recovery-manager Nestled on the stunning shores of Windermere in the heart of the Lake District, the Freshwater Biological Association is more than just a research organisation – it’s a mission-driven community dedicated to protecting and restoring the life of our rivers and lakes. Working here means being part of a team that combines science with a deep respect for nature, driving real-world impact for freshwater ecosystems. At the heart of our work is our Species Recovery Centre, a unique facility where we carry out our vital science and conservation work. This centre is home to our pioneering efforts in freshwater pearl mussel conservation, a species on the brink of extinction. Through our exemplary captive breeding, research and conservation translocation programmes, we are giving these remarkable mussels a second chance, restoring populations on the brink of extinction and working with partners to safeguard the biodiversity of our rivers.
Job opportunity! We’re looking for a dynamic leader to take on a truly rewarding role at the FBA's #SpeciesRecovery Centre. A pivotal role combining exceptional organisational skills with a love for species conservation.
Interested? We'd love to hear from you! Apply:👇
www.fba.org.uk/species-reco...
Looking back at 2025 with @riverflies.bsky.social: a year of collaboration, conferences & #citizenscience.
12 months of amazing action for #riverflies & #freshwaters... geographical reach is now larger than ever, with 700+ rivers being monitored by 2000+ volunteers!💙
www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/th...
Job opportunity! The Riverfly Partnership, hosted by the Freshwater Biological Association, is looking for a Senior Development Manager to help grow sustainable funding, build strong partnerships, and support one of Europe's longest-running citizen science programmes. If you're passionate about rivers, community science and strategic development - we would love to hear from you! Please note the closing date for applications is 18 January. Find out more and apply: https://www.fba.org.uk/riverfly-partnership-senior-development-manager The Riverfly Partnership is a dynamic network of organisations, representing anglers, conservationists, entomologists, scientists, water course managers and relevant authorities, working together to protect the water quality of our rivers, further the understanding of riverfly populations, and actively conserve freshwater habitats.
Would you like to make a real impact on freshwater conservation?
@riverflies.bsky.social, hosted by FBA, is looking for a Senior Development Manager to support one of Europe's longest-running citizen science programmes.
Closing date is 18 Jan. Find out more & apply:
www.fba.org.uk/riverfly-par...
Set of keys resting on large black metal box inscribed with "The Freshwater Biological Association of the British Empire" and surrounded by FBA Minute Books and other publications and papers.
#Writing and #Research 2025: Records at UK National #Archives in #Kew provided insights into the relationship between the formation of the #Freshwater Biological Association and the British #Empire. @freshwaterbio.bsky.social
#historyofscience #envhist #Windermere
www.fba.org.uk/articles/the...
Happy New Year freshwater friends! We're diving into 2026 with fabulous pics this Microscope Monday 🔬 by Geoffrey Fryer.
These feature in our article from 2022, observing Geoffrey Fryer’s impressive half century @royalsociety.org, by Martyn Kelly & Catherine Duigan:
www.fba.org.uk/articles/geo...
H2 HO HO HO! Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all you fine freshwater friends! 💙
For your festive pleasure we hope you'll enjoy our little freshwater inspired Yule quiz! Each letter in our Merry Christmas message to you has an FBA connection... can you guess what each one is?
📣 New job! 📣
We're hiring a researcher to join a collaborative project involving NTU, the Environment Agency @riversandpeople.bsky.social & WildFish. You'll analyse data to study invertebrate responses to human pressures & drying in chalk streams
Apply by 11 Jan
vacancies.ntu.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
📣We're recruiting!
The Riverfly Partnership is, hosted by the @freshwaterbio.bsky.social seeking a Senior Development Manager to grow sustainable funding for one of Europe's longest-running citizen science programmes.
Passionate about rivers and community science?
👉 www.fba.org.uk/riverfly-par...
Greetings #FreshwaterPearlMussel friends! This Microscope Monday 🔬 we're excited to share with you an incredible image of a 34 month old #MargaritiferaMargaritifera from:
Understanding early life stages of the freshwater pearl mussel using scanning electron microscopy👇
www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/un...
we lost one of our greats Prof Peter Maitland in late November 2025. @profcolinbean.bsky.social has written a fine obituary to Peter here on the @freshwaterbio.bsky.social website.
www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/ob...
Peter Maitland standing next to a few Arctic charr scientists (including ex FBA PhD student Elly Baroudy) as they make their way to Cumbria during a visit of the International Society of Arctic charr Fanatics (ISACF) in 1992. Photo by Johan Hammar.
Peter Maitland with his late wife (Kathleen) and colleagues in front of the Fish Hotel, Buttermere, in the Lake District during the ISACF workshop 1992. Photo by Johan Hammar.
Peter Maitland and Colin Bean sampling the rare Arctic charr and Powan fish community in Loch Eck in 1993.
The freshwater science community has lost one of its most respected and influential members with the passing of Professor Peter Maitland FRSE on 24 November 2025.
Here Professor @profcolinbean.bsky.social looks back at Peter’s formidable career in aquatic science...
www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/ob...
For microbe 🦠 Monday it is our pleasure to share with you our science article of the month.
Thousands of chemicals used in modern life enter freshwater systems where they interact in complex, often unpredictable ways, disrupting organisms & ecosystems:
Find out more:
www.fba.org.uk/articles/und...
