The Freshwater Blog

Migratory freshwater fish working group launches key conservation initiatives Migratory fish populations have declined sharply in the last fifty years. Image: Petteri Hautamaa – WWF Finland | World Fish Migration Day /// A guest blog by Zeb Hogan and Monni Böhm What do Lake …

🐟 How do we best protect our migratory fish populations?

🐠 A group of experts got together recently to plan the route ahead for their global conservation and restoration.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/08/05/m...

Cabinet of Freshwater Curiosities: tiny freshwater insect is the ‘loudest animal on Earth’ The lesser water boatman: the “loudest animal on Earth”. Image: ExaVolt | Wikipedia Creative Commons If you’re a long-time follower of the Freshwater Blog, you might remember our Cabine…

🪲 Micronecta scholtzi is a common European freshwater insect that produces a peculiar courtship song by rubbing its penis along its abdomen.

🌊 The sound can reach an incredible 99.2 db... the same as a car horn, power tool or passing train!

freshwaterblog.net/2025/07/24/c...

Mapping the value of freshwater restoration Image: Sasa Peterkovic | Pexels Creative Commons We live in an age of ecosystem restoration. Across the world, communities and policy makers are seeking to help guide degraded or destroyed ecosyste…

🌊 Restoring freshwater biodiversity helps generate multiple benefits to people

🤝 A new @merlin-project.bsky.social study explores how freshwater restoration supports ecosystem services

freshwaterblog.net/2025/07/11/m...

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣.𝟭𝟭 – 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 is out now!

A nice piece in the @freshwaterblog.bsky.social on our recent #beaver study.

Nature-based solutions help support people and nature in freshwater restoration Nature-based solutions help boost natural processes to support both people and nature. Image: MERLIN Harnessing the potential of natural processes in freshwater restoration can create significant e…

🌊 Harnessing the potential of natural processes in freshwater restoration can create significant ecological, social and economic benefits, according to a major new @merlin-project.bsky.social report.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/06/25/n...

MERLIN Podcast EP.11 – Communicating why freshwater restoration is vital Restoring our natural ecosystems is a task that is never really finished: science progresses; governments change; technology advances; society shifts; funding pots appear and disappear. And all the…

📻 We hear from four inspirational young scientists from @merlin-project.bsky.social who are helping restore Europe’s freshwaters.

🌊 The thread that runs throughout is the need for good communication in fostering positive change for the future.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/05/26/m...

Beaver populations help boost insect biodiversity in streams Beavers are valuable ecosystem engineers. Image: Daniil Komov | Pexels Creative Commons Beavers create diverse new habitats in stream ecosystems which significantly boost biodiversity, according to…

🪲 Beavers create diverse new habitats in stream ecosystems which significantly boost biodiversity, according to a new study in Germany.

🌊 Beaver reintroduction can be a valuable nature-based solution, the authors suggest.

@danielheringude.bsky.social

freshwaterblog.net/2025/06/12/b...

MERLIN Podcast EP.11 – Communicating why freshwater restoration is vital Restoring our natural ecosystems is a task that is never really finished: science progresses; governments change; technology advances; society shifts; funding pots appear and disappear. And all the…

📻 We hear from four inspirational young scientists from @merlin-project.bsky.social who are helping restore Europe’s freshwaters.

🌊 The thread that runs throughout is the need for good communication in fostering positive change for the future.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/05/26/m...

Overcoming barriers and leveraging opportunities to scale up landscape‐scale restoration in Europe Stepping up ecosystem restoration is critical to achieving pressing policy targets, but as well as significant benefits, there are also multiple challenges particularly associated with restoring at l....

Short and sharp piece on the opportunities and challenges of landscape-scale restoration: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

It addresses five key topics related to scaling up restoration efforts in Europe:

👷‍♀️ implementation
👥 stakeholder engagement
📍local economies
💰 financing
🔎 monitoring

The latest #DamRemovalEurope report reveals that 2024 was another record-breaking year for dam removals, with 542 barriers removed across 23 European countries! Finland, France, and Spain led the way. Read more here: damremoval.eu/wp-content/u...

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰-𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 (PPPs) can play a vital role in scaling and financing Nature-based Solutions. In our new report, you can read how PPPs for the #SDGs work, and how to design and implement them for both SDGs and #NbS: project-merlin.eu/files/merlin...

Finance, monitoring and people: planning the ambitious restoration of Europe’s ecosystems Four EU restoration projects offer insights to help mainstream ecosystem restoration across Europe. Image: Björn Austmar Þórsson | Pexels Creative Commons Last year, Europe adopted an ambitious new…

🌿 Last year, Europe adopted an ambitious new law committing to restore its degraded ecosystems.

📄 Four major EU restoration projects offer advice for countries planning how to implement it.

🌊 Three key themes: financing, monitoring and people.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/05/09/f...

Finance, monitoring and people: planning the ambitious restoration of Europe’s ecosystems Four EU restoration projects offer insights to help mainstream ecosystem restoration across Europe. Image: Björn Austmar Þórsson | Pexels Creative Commons Last year, Europe adopted an ambitious new…

🌿 Last year, Europe adopted an ambitious new law committing to restore its degraded ecosystems.

📄 Four major EU restoration projects offer advice for countries planning how to implement it.

🌊 Three key themes: financing, monitoring and people.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/05/09/f...

Cabinet of Freshwater Curiosities: artistic riverine insects create colourful cases from unusual materials A caddis larvae case built from colourful artificial materials. Image: Gerhard Laukötter If you’re a long-time follower of the Freshwater Blog, you might remember our Cabinet of Freshwater Cu…

🌊 Today we revisit our Cabinet of Freshwater Curiosities series...

🦗 Find out about the amazing world of caddisfly cases made from an array of unusual and colourful materials.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/05/01/c...

Cabinet of Freshwater Curiosities: artistic riverine insects create colourful cases from unusual materials A caddis larvae case built from colourful artificial materials. Image: Gerhard Laukötter If you’re a long-time follower of the Freshwater Blog, you might remember our Cabinet of Freshwater Cu…

🌊 Today we revisit our Cabinet of Freshwater Curiosities series...

🦗 Find out about the amazing world of caddisfly cases made from an array of unusual and colourful materials.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/05/01/c...

Can private finance help support ambitious European freshwater restoration? A new publication highlights how private finance can help support freshwater restoration. Image: George Frewat | Pexels Creative Commons New sources of funding are needed to meet the needs a growin…

💸 New sources of funding are needed to meet the needs a growing ecosystem restoration movement in Europe, according to a newly published report by @merlin-project.bsky.social

freshwaterblog.net/2025/04/22/c...

🌊 In particular, ambitious restoration initiatives which help bring Europe’s freshwaters back to life require financial support from both private and public sources in order to fulfil their potential.

Can private finance help support ambitious European freshwater restoration? A new publication highlights how private finance can help support freshwater restoration. Image: George Frewat | Pexels Creative Commons New sources of funding are needed to meet the needs a growin…

💸 New sources of funding are needed to meet the needs a growing ecosystem restoration movement in Europe, according to a newly published report by @merlin-project.bsky.social

freshwaterblog.net/2025/04/22/c...

Can nature-based solutions help ‘green’ European economies? Wildflowers bloom on the banks of the Emscher River in Germany. Such nature-based solutions to ecosystem restoration can bring numerous benefits to both people and nature. Image: MERLIN As the ongo…

🌿 A new set of strategies explore how European economies could embrace nature-based solutions

🤝 The @merlin-project.bsky.social worked closely with agriculture, hydropower, insurance, peat extraction, navigation and water supply and sanitation sectors

freshwaterblog.net/2025/03/14/c...

Read about the three key steps to small river restoration in the @freshwaterblog.bsky.social post below.

🔗 Find the guide here: project-merlin.eu/deliverables...

Scientists call on the EU to tackle emerging chemical pollution threat to freshwaters Cocktails of chemical pollutants are increasingly threatening the health of Europe’s freshwaters. Image: Unsplash | Creative Commons Scientists from across the world lent their support to a s…

🌊 Scientists highlight the need to tackle new and emerging cocktails of chemical pollution threatening freshwater ecosystems across Europe.

freshwaterblog.net/2025/04/08/s...

A ‘how-to guide’ for citizen scientists on small stream restoration Citizen scientists can have a big role to play in restoring Europe’s small streams. Image: FLOW Projekt Small streams criss-cross Europe’s landscapes: from the highest mountains to the busies…

🌊 Looking for a how-to guide to help your community restore your local stream?

🌿 Look no further! @merlin-project.bsky.social

freshwaterblog.net/2025/03/28/a...

A ‘how-to guide’ for citizen scientists on small stream restoration Citizen scientists can have a big role to play in restoring Europe’s small streams. Image: FLOW Projekt Small streams criss-cross Europe’s landscapes: from the highest mountains to the busies…

🌊 Looking for a how-to guide to help your community restore your local stream?

🌿 Look no further! @merlin-project.bsky.social

freshwaterblog.net/2025/03/28/a...

Can nature-based solutions help ‘green’ European economies? Wildflowers bloom on the banks of the Emscher River in Germany. Such nature-based solutions to ecosystem restoration can bring numerous benefits to both people and nature. Image: MERLIN As the ongo…

🌿 A new set of strategies explore how European economies could embrace nature-based solutions

🤝 The @merlin-project.bsky.social worked closely with agriculture, hydropower, insurance, peat extraction, navigation and water supply and sanitation sectors

freshwaterblog.net/2025/03/14/c...

Our colleagues at @uni-jena.de have completed their first MERLIN Citizen Science contribution! If you're planning community activities for the restoration of small watercourses, this is your go-to reference: project-merlin.eu/deliverables...

YouTube video by MERLIN project MERLIN | Women's Day

You can find our video for Women's Day now on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_dp...

💡Our 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 are now online! Over the past three years, WP4 has developed six inspiring visions of how economic activities can integrate Nature-based Solutions – six unique action plans that have the potential to transform business-as-usual: project-merlin.eu/outcomes/sec...

MERLIN Innovation Awards celebrates cutting-edge approaches to freshwater restoration at 2025 ceremony The winners of the annual MERLIN Innovation Awards – which highlight state-of-the-art solutions for freshwater restoration – were announced earlier this month. Entries from organisations across the…

💡 You can now read about the winners of the MERLIN Innovation Awards 2025 on @freshwaterblog.bsky.social: freshwaterblog.net/2025/02/25/m...

The awards have been given to two projects that are tackling plastic pollution in cutting-edge ways: Wasser 3.0 gGmbH and River Cleanup.

Kathleen Carpenter: the mother of freshwater ecology In this guest post for International Women’s Day, Dr. Catherine Duigan draws from her research on Dr. Kathleen Carpenter (1891-1970), the ‘mother’ of freshwater ecology, to sugges…

Do something you love;
Be generous to your students & staff;
Communicate your research.

Advice from Dr. Kathleen Carpenter #freshwater ecologist #Wales #USA #Canada #InternationalWomensDay
#IWD2025

@freshwaterblog.bsky.social
@aberuniarchives.bsky.social

freshwaterblog.net/2016/03/08/k...