Monitoring freshwaters in the UK – the value of citizen scientists

Speaker: Dr Bill Brierly (Freshwater Biological Association)

Abstract: Citizens have been monitoring the environment for many years, not least our freshwaters. Freshwater environments are some of the most threatened habitats on the planet and biodiversity is declining more rapidly in freshwaters than in any other biome.

The value of the information collected by volunteers has been questioned by scientists, regulators and managers for many years but it is now seen as crucial to provide information and more detailed insights into the multiple pressures acting on the environment and options for sustainable management. This talk will be illustrated with various examples of citizen science monitoring of freshwater environments.

*If you are external to King's and would like to attend this event, please contact the event organiser directly.

Dr Bill Brierly, Chief Executive at Freshwater Biological Association, is a professionally qualified and highly competent freshwater ecologist and leader. He has gained significant experience in strategic development and delivery, influencing, business and financial planning during nearly 29 years in the Environment Agency and its predecessors.

Bill has extensive knowledge of ecology, ecosystem services, systems thinking, eutrophication, catchment management, water resources, environmental monitoring and assessment and water legislation resulting from his research, career and interests.

More recently, Bill has worked on the Environment  Agency Monitoring programmes, including harmonising and redesigning the water networks and developing methods for assessing eutrophication using a Weight of Evidence approach.

He has also been a lecturer at the Open University, an external examiner for the Aquatic Resource Management MSc at Kings College London and Chair and trustee of various charities across education, music and conservation.