The Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) is an independent scientific organisation founded in 1929 in

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

Felix Eugen Fritsch Felix Eugen Fritsch FRS (26 April 1879 – 2 May 1954) was a British biologist. Fritssch was born in Hampstead in London in 1879 where his father owned and operated a school. Fritsch started his career at the University of Munich before mo ...

William Harold Pearsall William Harold Pearsall (23 July 1891 – 14 October 1964) was a British botanist, Quain Professor of Botany at University College London 1944–1957.‘PEARSALL, William Harold’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing pl ...

, Francis Balfour-Browne, and

Robert Gurney Robert Gurney (31 July 1879 – 5 March 1950) was a British zoologist from the Gurney family, most famous for his monographs on ''British Freshwater Copepoda'' (1931–1933) and the ''Larvae of Decapod Crustacea'' (1942). He was not affiliated ...

among others. Whilst originally created to be a research station it has evolved into a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an discipline (academia), academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and s ...

whose mission is "to promote the sustainable management of

freshwater ecosystem Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, bogs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. Freshwater habitats can be ...

s and resources, using the best available science". It works closely alongside other organisations, notably

Natural Environment Research Council The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences. History NERC began in 1965 when several environmental (mainly geogr ...

. The FBA promotes

freshwater science Limnology ( ; from Greek λίμνη, ''limne'', "lake" and λόγος, ''logos'', "knowledge") is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems. The study of limnology includes aspects of the biological, chemical, physical, and geological characteristic ...

through innovative research, maintained specialist scientific facilities, a programme of scientific meetings, production of publications, and by providing sound independent scientific opinion. As of 2010, the FBA hosted both published and unpublished collections, two specialist libraries and varieties of long term data sets from sites of scientific significance. It is managed by the Chief Executive who was assisted by 25 staff (17 full-time equivalents). By year ending 31 March 2020, the number had fallen to 15 employees, 6 trustees and 3 volunteers. A board of trustees, elected by the members, guide the strategic direction of the Association in line with the charitable objectives. The FBA is a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

, number 214440 and a company limited by guarantee, registration number 263162, England.

Activities

The FBA is involved in many activities which include the support of Science through the use of its location in The Lake District in Cumbria and alongside the River Frome, East Stoke in Dorset and uses its location to support scientific work by providing specialist facilities and equipment. It is also involved in research through grants and studentships given to young scientists, and has made provisions for information services, from its freshwater libraries, to its information collection titled "FreshwaterLife", to its reference collection "The

Fritsch Fritsch is a German surname. Like Fritsche, Fritzsch and Fritzsche, it is a patronymic derived from Friedrich. Notable people with the surname include: * Ahasverus Fritsch (1629–1701), German jurist, poet and hymn writer *Antonin Fritsch (183 ...

Collection". Finally, many publications and analysis guides are also published by the FBA, with records of freshwater information. The FBA also runs many meetings and courses for specialism in freshwater biology, holding an Annual Scientific Meeting. In September 2008 the FBA launched a series of conferences in aquatic biology. The first of these was entitled "Multiple Stressors in Freshwater Ecosystems". The second, in April 2010, had the theme of "Integrated Catchment Management".

Notable scientists

* Clifford H. Mortimer (1911–2010) Worked from 1935 conducting chemical analysis of lake water and then after the war as physical limnologist *

Patricia H. Clarke Patricia Hannah Clarke FRS (née Green) (29 July 1919 – 28 January 2010) was a British biochemist. Education and early life Clarke was born in Pontypridd, South Wales, and was educated at Howell's School, Llandaff, from 1930 to 1937, befor ...

(1919–2010) Position of responsibility after retirement. *

Rosemary Lowe-McConnell Rosemary Helen Lowe-McConnell (née Rosemary Helen Lowe; 24 June 1921 – 22 December 2014) was an English ichthyologist, ecologist, and limnologist known for research on tilapia and aquaculture. Working in the tropical waters of Africa and Sout ...

(1921–2014) various projects aimed at producing wartime food from fresh waters. *

John Walter Guerrier Lund John Walter Guerrier Lund CBE FRS (27 November 1912 – 21 March 2015) was an English phycologist. Early life and education Lund was born in 1912 and was educated at Sedbergh School. He studied for his Bachelor of Science and Master of Sci ...

, career with FBA from 1944 to 2005. * Charles Oldham (naturalist) (1868–1942) served on the council *

Winifred Pennington Winifred Anne Tutin (née Pennington) Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (8 October 1915 – 1 May 2007) was a British limnologist and biologist. Life Pennington was born in Barrow-in-Furness on 8 October 1915, the daughter of Albert Roger ...

(1915–2007) pioneered the study of

paleolimnology Paleolimnology (from Greek: παλαιός, ''palaios'', "ancient", λίμνη, ''limne'', "lake", and λόγος, ''logos'', "study") is a scientific sub-discipline closely related to both limnology and paleoecology. Paleolimnological studies fo ...

there. * Winifred Frost (1902–1979) worked there from 1938 to 1979. page 104 Her bequest to them funded postgraduate scholarships *

Charlotte Kipling Charlotte Kipling was born on 7 June 1919 in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, Lancashire, England. She was a statistician and ichthyologist. Starting in 1941 she was employed by the British Navy as a cipher officer in Liverpool. She was associated with t ...

(1919–1992) A statistician working there from 1947, some publications shared with Frost. page 160 * Steve Ormerod, a past member of the council. * T. T. Macan (1910–1985), career there 1935–1976, latterly as deputy director. *

Eville Gorham Eville Gorham (October 15, 1925 — January 14, 2020) was a Canadian-American scientist whose focus has been understanding the chemistry of fresh waters and the ecology and biogeochemistry of peatlands. In the process, Gorham made a number of pr ...

(1925–2020) Researcher from 1954 to 1957 regarding acid rain and nuclear fallout.

Senior officers

The FBA's Council Chairs have included

Cecil Terence Ingold Cecil Terence Ingold CMG (5 July 1905 – 31 May 2010) was "one of the most influential mycologists of the twentieth century". He was president of the British Mycological Society where he organised the first international congress of mycologis ...

from 1965 to 1974 and

Gordon Elliott Fogg Gordon Elliott Fogg (26 April 1919 – 30 January 2005) was a British biologist. Early life He was born in Langar, Nottinghamshire and educated at Dulwich College and Queen Mary College, London. Career During WW2 he assisted in a national sur ...

(1919–2005) from 1974 to 1985. Presidents have included Sir John Gray (1918–2011) from 1983 to 1987, Sir Frederick George Thomas Holliday (1935–2016) from 1995 to 2002, Sir Martin Holgate (b.1931) from 2002 to 2017, and Professor

Louise Heathwaite Louise Heathwaite is a British environmental scientist. She is Distinguished Professor in the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise. She is a hydrochemist working on diffuse env ...

from 2017. Directors have included E. Barton Worthington, secretary to and first full–time director of the Freshwater Biological Association from 1937 to 1946.

References

External links

The FBA web-siteFBA web-cam at Far Sawrey ferry landing stage
{{Authority control Biology organisations based in the United Kingdom Freshwater ecology Learned societies of the United Kingdom Organisations based in Cumbria Professional associations based in the United Kingdom 1929 establishments in the United Kingdom Scientific organizations established in 1929 South Lakeland District