The Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) is an independent scientific organisation founded in 1929[1] in Cumbria[2] by Felix Eugen Fritsch,[3] William Harold Pearsall,[4] Francis Balfour-Browne,[5] and Robert Gurney[6] among others. Whilst originally created to be a research station it has evolved into a learned society whose mission is "to promote the sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems and resources, using the best available science".[7] It works closely alongside other organisations, notably Natural Environment Research Council.[8][9] The FBA promotes freshwater science 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As of 2010, the FBA hosted both published and unpublished collections, two specialist libraries and varieties of long term data sets from sites of scientific significance.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.[10]
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, number 214440 and a company limited by guarantee, registration number 263162, England.
- ^ Toogood, Mark D.; Waterton, Claire F.J.; Heim, M. Wallace (2020). "Women Scientists and the Freshwater Biological Association, 1929-1950". Archives of Natural History. 47 (1): 16–28. doi:10.3366/anh.2020.0618. S2CID 204475518.
- ^ Freshwater Biological Association. "Professor F.E. Fritsch, 1879-1954". Archived from the original on 14 October 2013.
- ^ Salisbury, Edward J. (1954). "Felix Eugene Fritsch. 1879-1954". Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society. 9 (1). Royal Society: 130–140. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1954.0009. JSTOR 769202. S2CID 192041295.
- ^ Clapham, A. R. (November 1971). "William Harold Pearsall. 1891-1964". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 17: 511–540. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1971.0020. JSTOR 769718. S2CID 72596046.
- ^ LeCren, E.D. (1979). "The first fifty years of the Freshwater Biological Association". Forty-Seventh Annual Report (PDF). Freshwater Biological Association. pp. 27–42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2021.
- ^ Calman, W. (1950). "Dr. Robert Gurney obituary". Nature. 165 (4198): 587–588. doi:10.1038/165587b0. PMID 15416704. S2CID 4283485.
- ^ "Our Mission". Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ Reynolds, Colin (2004). "The Freshwater Biological Association at 75". Freshwater Forum. 22: 3–12.
- ^ "FBA Annual Review 2019–2020" (PDF). Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Charity number: 214440, year ending 31 March 2020". Archived from the original on 17 August 2021.