Stephen Maberly
Freshwater Ecologist
Stephen carried out his PhD at the University of St Andrews and was then a NERC Research Fellow at the FBA, working on Esthwaite Water with Jack Talling between 1981 and 1983. Following post-doc work and a temporary lecturership back at St Andrews, he returned to Windermere employed by the then Institute of Freshwater Ecology that became a component of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
He has subsequently continued to work for CEH and was the leader of the Water Programme for a while and led the lake ecology group for many years, before becoming an Individual Merit Scientist that has allowed him to devote more time to research and less to administration.
Stephen’s research on freshwaters scales from detailed genomic and proteomic studies on mechanisms of photosynthesis, through to broader studies at a global scale; from using sensors to detect rapid changes through to analysing long-term patterns of change; and from laboratory experiments through to lake survey. He has maintained a special interest in phytoplankton, macrophytes and CO2 dynamics in lakes and rivers but has also studied the effects of major pressures on freshwaters such as eutrophication, climate change and invasive species. He has been keen to use his knowledge and expertise to provide advice on solving environmental problems in lakes and has worked closely with national stakeholders and also local organisations and communities in the Lake District. He has extensive research links in China, is a visiting professor at Queen Mary University of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.
