News & Features
Keep up to date on the latest news from the Freshwater Biological Association, on our mission to drive positive action and make measurable impact on the ground through our science-based projects, species recovery programmes and citizen science activities.
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FBA Voice is the monthly newsletter of the Freshwater Biological Association
Latest FBA News
New get involved film for the Riverfly Partnership
Want to get involved in Riverfly Monitoring but not sure what it entails? The Riverfly Partnership have a new film explaining why and how we monitor riverflies. Learn about its applications in spotting pollution, deterring polluters, measuring the impact of restoration works, contributing to long-term data sets, and increasing awareness and education around our waterways.
Free NERC-funded places for Freshwater Field Identification Skills
Registration now open!
Funded by NERC, the Freshwater Biological Association, Bournemouth University, Natural England and AECOM, we are offering a free field workshop on Freshwater Taxonomy and Field Identification Skills: macroinvertebrates, protists, meiofauna and eDNA.
A new LIFE R4ever Kent flume in preparation for freshwater pearl mussel release
This summer, the first 1000 juvenile freshwater pearl mussels will be released into the River Kent as part of the LIFE R4ever Kent project. In preparation for this, all mussels must be tagged and placed into a flume system to prepare them for conditions they will experience in the River Kent.
Huge funding boost from Natural England for threatened fish in the Lake District
We are delighted to announce that the Lake District Arctic Charr Recovery and Management project has been awarded Natural England Species Recovery Programme funding to support vital research to help save Arctic charr populations in England from extinction.
The State of Windermere report and Windermere Integrated Science Plan published
Today, we are delighted to share in full the State of Windermere in 2024 report and the Windermere Integrated Science Plan (WISP), authored by Dr. Lynsey R. Harper, funded by the Environment Agency and produced by the Freshwater Biological Association.
Annual freshwater pearl mussel census at the FBA Ark
At the Species Recovery Centre, the FBA has finished its annual "Exhaustive Surveys", a census which involves counting all mussels in the facility that are more than 5mm in length. Counts take place on every mussel rearing system and from this a representative sample will be taken to determine average lengths of the freshwater pearl mussel population at the FBA Ark.
Agenda announced for FBA Early Career Member networking event
We are delighted to announce that our first official in-person ECMN event will be on 26 June at Nottingham Trent University. Taking place the day after our Annual Scientific Meeting, this is an opportunity for early career researchers and practitioners to attend both gatherings, to enable networking and establish mentoring partnerships that offer members of the ECMN career support.
Conservation in action and freshwater pearl mussel species recovery at the FBA Ark
Here we catch up with FBA’s Pearl Mussel Assistant, Jodie Warren, to hear about the daily activities at the FBA Ark species recovery sanctuary and the freshwater science making a vital contribution towards protecting vulnerable freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera).
Agenda announced for the FBA 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting
We are delighted to share the agenda for the FBA Annual Scientific Meeting at Nottingham Trent University on Wednesday 25 June 2025. This conference-style event will be a showcase for an array of speakers from a diversity of backgrounds in freshwater science including early career researchers and senior academics.