NC-UK News and events

News and events

Upcoming events for the National Capability for UK Challenges (NC-UK) programme

Over the next five years, the NC-UK programme will host a diverse range of events focused on integrated environmental monitoring. These events will bring together scientists, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and community members to address key environmental monitoring challenges.

The NC-UK programme will cover four key themes: Hydrological Extremes, Land Use and Net Zero, Pollution, and Biodiversity. It will include meetings, conferences, interactive workshops, and webinars, all designed to provide expert insights and foster collaboration.

If you would like to be kept informed of upcoming in-person and online events, please subscribe to our mailing list.

The following are events we are either attending or hosting:

Help Track Harmful Algal Blooms with the Bloomin’ Algae App

Did you know you can help protect public health by reporting harmful algal blooms? The Bloomin’ Algae app allows you to quickly and easily report sightings of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), speeding up public health warnings and raising awareness of potential risks to people, pets, and wildlife.

By submitting your records, you contribute to a real-time picture of harmful algal blooms in your area. This vital information helps environment agencies, local authorities, and landowners take early action, providing timely warnings to the public when needed.

Download Bloomin’ Algae today and be part of the effort to keep your community safe!

Find out more information and how to download the app

Community Conversation on Enhancing Discoverability and Access to Data

The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, as part of our National Capability UK (NC-UK) programme, invite you to an engaging community conversation on discoverability & access to data, focusing on spatial and 'Land Cover Map' Data. In this online workshop, we will discuss challenges and co-develop solutions for improving discoverability and access to critical environmental datasets. The workshop will take place on Microsoft Teams on 6th May 2025 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

Environmental scientists, GIS specialists, data managers, software developers, policymakers, and anyone interested in environmental data – particularly those interested in spatial data and Land Cover Maps are welcome.

Find out more and register here

Loch Leven Discovery Day

Join UKCEH and NC-UK as we talk to visitors about the freshwater plants and animals living in the loch and how they are affected by climate change and pollution. The focus is on practical steps the public can take to help reduce phosphorus pollution, which contributes to potentially toxic algal blooms. We will also share information on the Bloomin’ Algae app, a useful tool for reporting and tracking algal blooms. This event is open to the public.

14 June 2025

Address - Loch Leven Discovery Day, Kirkgate Park, Kinross (parkland beside Loch Leven)

For more information, please contact Linday May (UKCEH) lmay@ceh.ac.uk or Jeremy Squire (NatureScot) Jeremy.Squire@nature.scot

Find out more about the Loch Leven Discovery Day

NC-UK Science Series_Water Sampling Image

NC-UK National Science Series 2025

Coming soon!

The NC-UK National Science Series is a new initiative within the National Capability for UK Challenges (NC-UK) programme. It aims to bring together the research community for in-depth exploration of key environmental topics. Each meeting will focus on issues that are highly relevant to environmental research community, addressing topical, new, and emerging challenges.

Further details to follow shortly.

Land and Water in a Changing Climate

Land and Water in a Changing Climate – what’s next for Science and Policy?

A two-day in-person event  taking place at The Royal Society, London from the 24 - 25 September 2025 that will bring together the hydrological and land-surface modelling community, industry and policy makers across the UK to share insights on how research can influence policy decisions and address critical hydrological challenges.

Registration and abstract submission will open shortly. Please email hydro-jules@ceh.ac.uk or visit the Hydro-JULES website for further information.

Visit the Hydro-JULES website to find out more

Cumbrian Lakes Research Forum

Save the date: 6 November 2025 (TBC)

2025 marks the 10th year of the Cumbrian Lakes Research Forum and 80 years of continuous data collection on lakes in the Windermere catchment, now carried out by UKCEH under the NC-UK programme. We wish to mark this momentous achievement by hosting the biggest Cumbrian Lakes Research Forum to date and showcasing the importance of this long-term monitoring programme and where it has influenced research and management of lakes across local, national, and international scales. The event will also focus on the need for evidence-driven policy and management.

An in-person event at the Windermere Jetty Museum, Rayrigg Road, Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1BN

The state of lakes in the Windermere catchment

National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC) 2025

This one-day conference will build on the success of NEMC 2024. It is aimed at those who deliver, use, or could benefit from national monitoring activities across the UK. The session will focus on strengthening the UK’s environmental evidence system by enhancing the visibility of existing data, improving access, identifying critical gaps, and exploring opportunities for a more cohesive approach.

15 December 2025, Edinburgh, EICC

Further details to follow shortly.

NC-UK at BES Annual Meeting 2025

UKCEH and NC-UK will be returning to the BES Annual Meeting 2025 at the EICC, Edinburgh from the 16th- 18 December.

Visit the BES website for a list of UKCEH speakers and workshops

Exciting News! Paper Shortlisted for the Harper Prize

The paper “A diversity of diversities: Do complex environmental effects underpin associations between below- and above-ground taxa?”, co-authored by Fiona Seaton, has been shortlisted for the Harper Prize, awarded by the British Ecological Society for the best Journal of Ecology paper by an early career researcher.

The study explored whether high plant diversity correlates with greater diversity in soil animals, microbes, pollinators, or birds. Using data from the Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme - a field survey across Wales funded by the Welsh Government and supported by the UKScaPE programme, the findings highlighted complex environmental responses shaping biodiversity patterns.

The data that supports the findings of this study is openly available, with the soil physicochemical data at https://doi.org/10.5285/0fa51dc6-1537-4ad6-9d06-e476c137ed09 (Robinson et al., 2019), the vegetation data at https://doi.org/10.5285/71d3619c-4439-4c9e-84dc-3ca873d7f5cc (Smart et al., 2020), the pollinator data at https://doi.org/10.5285/3c8f4e46-bf6c-4ea1-9340-571fede26ee8 (Botham et al., 2020), the bird data at https://doi.org/10.5285/31da0a94-62be-47b3-b76e-4bdef3037360 (Siriwardena et al., 2020) and the soil microbial sequences data in the European Nucleotide Archive with primary accession codes: PRJEB27883 (16S), PRJEB28028 (ITS1) and PRJEB28067 (18S).

Read the full paper here