Steve Thackeray

The BES Aquatic Ecology Special Interest Group annual conference is in early September at London zoo. Hear the latest research and network with your community! www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/besa... 🧪💦🚣‍♂️🦦🐟🦠🧫🦆🦈🌊 #BESAG2026 @bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social @britishecologicalsociety.org

A sketch of part of an ornate sculpture on Skipton library, UK. #drawing #art

Excited to be at the British Ecological Society Aquatic Group Meeting #BESAG2026 Meeting. Such a great community that I've been privileged to join the last 2 years - thanks to the committee for all you do in organising! @bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social

Tried something new. Highlights on black paper. A raven with pastel pencils #art #drawing

I did a little portrait of a dog at our local animal rescue centre #drawing #art #dog

Lovely afternoon at Foulshaw Moss. Lots of emerald damselflies, a bog bush cricket, and I got scrutinised by a Southern hawker 😊 @foulshaw2.bsky.social #UKwildlife #dragonfly #damselfly

A beautiful common darter from #Lancaster 😊 #dragonfly #UKwildlife @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Only a few days left to register for this conference, targeted at marine and freshwater ecologists! Make sure you get a ticket! #BESAG2026

A graphite pencil portrait of a dachshund from my local animal rescue centre #art #drawing #dog ✏️ 🐕

Found this pretty awesome lime hawk moth caterpillar this morning. This one is getting ready to pupate, having changed colour from green to grey. See: Lime Hawk-moth | Butterfly Conservation share.google/7evx25lz9GWP... #moth #UKwildlife

A zendoodle dragon drawing, to relax this evening #art #drawing #zendoodle

Some lovely dragonfly finds today: migrant hawker, common darter, common blue damselflies @britishdragonflies.bsky.social #ukwildlife #insect #dragonfly #freshwater

Great to be able to contribute long-term monitoring data from the Cumbrian Lakes and Loch Leven to this global initiative! @ukceh.bsky.social #UKCEH_AquEco #NCUK #lakes #freshwater #ecology #biodiversity

New study synthesises zooplankton data from 311 lakes in 37 countries! A great resource for freshwater ecology! See: aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... Great leadership Steph Figary, @rmpilla.bsky.social, @mishafredmeyer.bsky.social & @drplanktonguy.bsky.social! 🧪

A capture of an offshore storm at Whitby last night. Pink lightning makes the sky glow. Freeze frame from mobile. #weather #storm #Whitby @paultheweatherman.bsky.social @whitbynats.bsky.social @whitbygothic.bsky.social

A little sketch while in Whitby, UK #drawing #pencil #art

Interested in water quality & citizen science? Then, you'll like our newly updated Bloomin' Algae app: www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/... You can help us understand where and when blooms occur, and alert the community. #freshwater #CitizenScience #algae #UKCEH_AquaEco @ukceh.bsky.social 🧪🦠🌊🚣‍♀️👀🧪🦠🌊🚣‍♀️👀🧪

Found my first Chinese character moth today 😊 Their markings make them look like bird poo (!) - camouflage to help avoid predation #moths #ukwildlife #insects

Hi aquatic people! Abstract submission for the annual BES aquatic ecology conference closes 7th August! We would love to see you there! www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/besa... Please repost! @bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social @britishecologicalsociety.org #freshwater #marine #ecology 🧪🌊🦠🐟📈🧬

If you're in the #Lancaster area and enjoy #art, I recommend ColourWheel. I've just completed a wonderful term and finished a couple of pieces tonight. Art Classes in Lancaster - ColourWheel Art Classes share.google/xwRa2loMWJni... #painting #drawing

I was rather taken by this sculpture "Salmon of steel". Made from scrap metal by artist Jason Heppenstall and on show outside Sheffield railway station. #fish #art #sculpture

Banded demoiselles from Lancaster canal today. The males are iridescent in the sun and flutter and dance like butterflies ❤️ #UKwildlife @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

A striking box tree moth from the garden this morning. An introduced species to the UK, first recorded in 2007. The wings have a pearlescent quality on closer inspection #UKwildlife #moths #insects

Saw my first sexton beetle (Nicrophorus investigator) today. One of several species that bury small animal corpses as larders for their young. #ukwildlife #insect

Nice new blog by one of my colleagues on research to develop positive futures for lakes: www.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-med... 🧪 #UKCEH_AquaEo @ukceh.bsky.social

📢 Registration is open for the Cumbrian Lakes Research Forum on the 3rd of November. 🧪 A great opportunity to share lake and catchment research and practice! www.ceh.ac.uk/cumbrian-lak... @ukceh.bsky.social

💦 Work on aquatic ecosystems and fancy a late summer conference? Join us for the BES Aquatic Ecology SIG annual meeting! 📅 3–4 Sept 2026 📍 ZSL London Hear the latest research, present your work, network, and attend workshops 💦 Registration & abstract submission are OPEN: tinyurl.com/2rv3dzpw

A narrow-bordered five spot burnet 😍 #moth #ukwildlife

A stunning four-spotted chaser at #Lancaster canal today #UKwildlife #freshwater #dragonfly

Lots of lovely thick-legged (swollen-thighed) beetles around today, feeding on buttercups 😊 #ukwildlife

Recently, I spoke to @watermagazine.bsky.social about the significance of warming trends at Windermere and the importance of long-term freshwater research www.watermagazine.co.uk/2026/06/08/d... #UKCEH_AquaEco @ukceh.bsky.social 💦🧪🌡🚣‍♂️

It's that time again! If you are an aquatic ecology researcher and want to connect with your community, come to #BESAG2026! Aquatic Ecology Group Annual Meeting 2026 - British Ecological Society share.google/OKvdAolB85om... 💦🧪🚣‍♀️🐟🦠🧫🦆🐬🌊 @bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social

It was a wonderful day at Foulshaw Moss today. The ospreys were putting on a great show, and I saw this beautiful adder, common lizards, and lots of damsel- and dragonflies. I feel especially privileged to see white faced darters! @foulshaw2.bsky.social @cumbriawildlife.bsky.social #ukwildlife

Freshwater ecosystems are changing fast and we need better evidence to understand why. NC-UK’s survey & workshop showed big data gaps, potential for new tools & a clear message: collaboration is key to building a stronger national picture and protecting our waters. www.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-med... 🧪

Found a leech swimming in #Lancaster canal today. Horse leech? #ukwildlife

A glorious day on #Lancaster canal. Saw an otter, Cetti's and sedge warbler, roach and perch, and lots of blue-tailed and azure damselflies! #UKwildlife

New paper summarising insights from a recent international initiative to allow knowledge exchange, and inform policy on sustaiable phosphorus management, globally: riojournal.com/article/1939... #UKCEH_AquaEco @ukceh.bsky.social 🧪

Check out this new global mapping tool to understand nutrient pollution sources to lakes across the world! www.ceh.ac.uk/press/new-gl... 🧪 @ukceh.bsky.social @aslo.org @sil-limnology.bsky.social @bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social

It's that time again! If you are an aquatic ecology researcher and want to connect with your community, come to #BESAG2026! Aquatic Ecology Group Annual Meeting 2026 - British Ecological Society share.google/OKvdAolB85om... 💦🧪🚣‍♀️🐟🦠🧫🦆🐬🌊 @bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social

The spring bloom of diatoms is well underway in #Windermere. Another great day out with the #WindermereScienceFestival. More sun today, lots of beautiful #Asterionella in the samples and surface temperatures slowly increasing. #Freshwater #Lakes #AquaticEcosystemsGroup @ukceh.bsky.social

Looking forward to another fun weekend at the #Windermere #Sciencefestival. Boats are ready and we even have some microscopes to look at what we find in there! @ukceh.bsky.social #AquaticEcosystemsGroup

Long-term data from UKCEH reveal that Windermere has warmed by 1.5°C in the past 80 years. Find out more as TV presenter Helen Skelton joins our scientists on the lake to see this work in action: www.ceh.ac.uk/press/worryi... 🧪

A beautiful mayfly #UKwildlife

Great to see the local rivers trust at a village fair today, with volunteers sharing their care for freshwater wildlife #UKwildlife 🧪💦

This is part of a bigger #LakeScienceLive campaign led by my institute, @ukceh.bsky.social See: lakesciencelive.ceh.ac.uk We are also promoting the role that the public can play in gathering evidence of algal blooms using the free Bloomin Algae app. 🧪 💦 🚣‍♀️

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

My lovely friend Clare @_claredyson is running this brilliant programme to build skills and confidence in women to enable them to get out into nature. Find out more here: womensadventureacademy.com

Fantastic start to the @riverflies.bsky.social sampling season at Hall Beck on the river Kent. Lots of lively larvae of #stoneflies, #mayflies and #caddisflies, including our first #Ephemera at this site. #citizenscience #freshwater

Another weekend and more #citizenscience with @theriverstrust.bsky.social and #GreatUKWaterBlitz sampling and observing the #RiverKent in Kendal. Beautiful day for it, low flows and nutrients, but lots of filamentous #algae #freshwater #rivers