After the ASM: Reflections on an inspiring meeting of scientific minds
16 July, 2025
FBA Executive Director, Simon Johnson, shares his thoughts on last month’s Annual Scientific Meeting.
After months of planning, the day of the resurrected FBA Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) was upon us!
The organising committee comprising Rachel Stubbington, Paul Wood, John Murray-Bligh and myself had managed to pull together an incredible array of speakers at a first-class venue, Nottingham Trent University.
Thanks to all who attended!
We received a fantastic response from those wanting to attend and it was a pleasure for me to sign in and meet all 100 of them at registration! However, my meagre administrative skills were tested to the limit whilst a long, but patient, queue built up!
It was great to meet old friends and make new connections and the energy in the room over our pre-meeting coffee was a joy to witness!
What followed was a day of scientific knowledge exchange on many of the key issues and scientific research affecting freshwaters. Our keynote speakers Steve Ormerod, Michelle Jackson, Dave Tickner and Julia Martin-Ortega provided much to ponder and debate. We talked of trends in ecology, water quality, the role of scientist activists and how society could remake vital relations with rivers.
Shining a light on freshwater science
Our main presenters provided fascinating insights into their research and work. I’m very proud that we were able to provide a platform to early career members to share their science. For some of them this was the first time they had presented at a conference.
Photos from the FBA Annual Scientific Meeting, at Nottingham Trent University, on 25 June. From left to right with Dave Tickner, Louise Lavictoire and Michelle Jackson presenting.
The restorative power of freshwater ecosystems revealed
Over the course of the day we were informed and inspired by a line-up of brilliant speakers.
Highlights are too many to mention but Carl Sayer’s talk on Ghost Ponds was an incredible example of ecological restoration in rapid response times. A great showcase of how scientists and communities can work together, and impressively one of the most successful forms of freshwater restoration known.
FBA Early Career Network member, Taylor Butler-Eldridge’s presentation on Booms, dooms & blooms: outdoor swimming and environmental health at Windermere was a fantastic exemplar of how qualitative and quantitative approaches can help stakeholders better understand and manage environmental risk.
The ASM was a freshwater extravaganza spanning science and culture from Bob Dylan to Daphnia, zooplankton to zombies, algal blooms to ghost ponds, and citizen science to Riverkin.
I’m delighted that the ASM is back in business. We will start planning the next event over the coming weeks. Watch this space for further announcements.
In conversation with ASM keynote speaker, Dave Tickner, Chief Freshwater Adviser at WWF-UK
Hear Dave's thoughts on the ASM, his insights on the value of storytelling for freshwater conservation, and the power of working together, as a scientific community, in partnership to improve the future of the natural world.
“I think we all have an understandable habit of focussing on the day to day. Focusing on what we need to do today, focusing on the output we need to achieve today. Sometimes we forget to take a step back and think... why are we doing this?
And most of us engaged in either science or policy engagement or the practical matters of conservation, we’re engaged in it because we care about the future of the natural world, and we’re engaged in it because we want to change that future, improve that future of the natural world, as well as making sure that we’re improving people’s future. And undoubtedly the best way of the best way of bringing about those kinds of outcomes, is by working together. We’re so much more powerful if we lump together, rather than if we split apart, so it’s incredibly important to look for those alliances, to look for those opportunities for partnership.”
Keynote speaker presentations at the FBA ASM in June 2025, with Steve Ormerod (left) and Julia Martin-Ortega (right).
In conversation with FBA Fellow, Steve Ormerod
Delegate feedback from a range of backgrounds was super positive and was summed up perfectly by Steve Ormerod as an “excellent turnout, cross generational exchange and some inspirational stuff”.
“Everybody recognises how important water is at the moment. Water is everywhere in the news, we know that this is a resource that’s really being impacted by our activities and we know that there are biogicial ramifications to all of that. So an organisation like the FBA that is fostering knowledge, bringing people together, influencing the agenda, is really critical. And I think it’s really tremendous to see the FBA in a resurgent phase, I think it has gone through some difficult times, but at present I think it’s really on the up again.”
Support from the Richard Chadd Fund
Lastly, I would like to thank the family of the late, great Richard Chadd for supporting the creation of a bursary (in his name) to support early career members. Six bursaries were awarded to attend the ASM. FBA will be maintaining and growing this bursary to support our rapidly developing Early Career Member Network.
Interested in discovering more about the Early Career Member Network?
Please visit the FBA Early Career Member Network webpage
