Macrophyte Mondays: A network for students and early-career researchers

Students and early-career researchers (ECRs) studying macrophytes often find themselves isolated within their institutions, lacking local peers with similar research interests. To address this, we established Macrophyte Mondays, a global online network that connects undergraduates, master’s students, PhD students, and postdocs with a shared passion for macrophyte research. This initiative emerged following the 16th International Aquatic Plant Group (IAPG) conference in Antwerp, Belgium, where a group of students and ECRs created a mailing list to foster collaboration and support. Since then, we have organized semi-annual virtual meetings, each attended by 15–20 researchers worldwide. These meetings provide a platform for participants to present their work through short talks, discuss recent papers and projects, and engage in open scientific dialogue. The enthusiastic and collaborative atmosphere enhances knowledge exchange and professional development, helping students and ECRs navigate the challenges of their academic careers and begin to establish their own research networks. By presenting this initiative at the ASLO-SIL conference, we aim to raise awareness of the Macrophyte Mondays group and encourage broader participation by students and postdocs with an interest in macrophytes. We invite interested students and ECRs to join our growing network, strengthening connections within the macrophyte research community.

Presentation Preference: Lightning Talk with Poster (5 Minutes)

Primary Presenter: Lindsay Trottier, McGill University (lindsay.trottier@gmail.com)

Authors:

Lindsay Trottier, McGill University, Montreal (Canada); Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie, Montreal (Canada)  (lindsay.trottier@mail.mcgill.ca)

Anne Lewerentz, Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe (Germany)  (anne.lewerentz@kit.edu)

Kerstin Bouma, Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen (The Netherlands); Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (Denmark)  (kerstin.bouma@sund.ku.dk)

Colin Burke, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland (Australia)  (colin.burke@griffithuni.edu.au)

Louis Skovsholt, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus (Denmark)  (ljs@bio.au.dk)

Alice Dalla Vecchia, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma (Italy)  (alice.dallavecchia@unipr.it)