Living Water: A Conversation on Change, Connection and Aquatic Life

This event is being held in collaboration with the School of Biological Sciences. Join us for a special public conversation inspired by the Living Water: Poetry, Art and the Fight for Clean Rivers exhibition at Cambridge University Library and Pembroke College. Water shapes our planet, sustains life, and connects people, places, and ecosystems. Yet rivers, lakes, wetlands, and oceans are undergoing unprecedented change. This event brings together researchers from the University of Cambridge's Water and Life Research Focus to explore how water supports life, how humans relate to aquatic environments, and how research is helping us understand and respond to a rapidly changing world. The discussion will range from the origins and future of aquatic life to the cultural importance of water and the challenges posed by environmental change. Panellists will share insights from their research and reflect on how their work has shaped their own understanding of nature, resilience, and our relationship with the living world. This is an opportunity to hear directly from leading researchers, engage with ideas inspired by the Living Water exhibition, and join a wider conversation about the future of our waters and the life they sustain. Panellists Dr Mark Wormald (Chair) Writer, naturalist and exhibition curator Dr Emilia Santos NERC Independent Research Fellow and Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology Professor Melody Clark Project Leader for the Adaptations Group at the British Antarctic Survey Dr Tom Worthington Head of Global Coastal Wetlands at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge. Questions from the Audience As this event is designed as a conversation, we warmly welcome questions from attendees. If there is something you would like the panel to discuss, please send your question in advance to: [email protected] We will endeavour to incorporate audience questions into the discussion and question-and-answer session.