Mark Everard,^1,* Melanie S. Fletcher,^2,**,*** Anne Powell,^2,**** Michael K. Dobson<sup>2,*****

1</sup>1Environment Agency, Block 1 Government Buildings, Burghill Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS10 6B
²2Freshwater Biological Association, The Ferry Landing, Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LP, UK.

^*Dr Mark Everard: Dr Mark Everard's interests in various aspects of aquatic environment span basic and applied ecology sustainable exploitation, economic valuation and their role in development issues across the world. Mark is the author of six books, five of which touch upon aquatic sciences, as well as many scientific papers and technical articles. Today, Mark works for part of his time for the Environment Agency, and is also involved in capacity-building for integrated water resource management in South Africa as the country strives to institute equitable sharing of its limiting water resources.
^**Corresponding author: mfletcher@fba.org.uk
^***Dr Melanie Fletcher: Melanie graduated from the University of Glasgow in Aquatic Bioscience. She trained with the Scottish Wildlife Trust in habitat surveying and restoration and later moved to Manchester Metropolitan University where she gained her doctorate in Assessing fluctuating asymmetry in stoneflies as a biomonitoring tool' in 2006. Since this time she has worked for the Freshwater Biological Association as a Scientific Officer, with particular responsibilities for freshwater recorders and the design and implementation of identification training courses and materials.
^****Dr Anne Powell: Anne has many years experience working in the freshwater world. She has served on a wide range of committees including the English Nature Council, the board of the Environment Agency for England and Wales, the Freshwater Biological Association council and the council of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. As well as managing FreshwaterLife she currently sits on the National Trusts conservation panel and is Chairperson for Cumbria Wildlife Trust. She received her OBE in 2001 for services to conservation, and as one of the founders of FreshwaterLife, has managed the project since its inception.
^*****Dr Michael Dobson: Dr Michael Dobson has worked for over two decades on the ecology and management of upland streams, and has particular interests in the impact of forestry on streams and in tropical freshwaters. He spent fifteen years teaching ecology and biogeography in the university sector, before moving in 2007 to his current position as Director of the Freshwater Biological Association.