The Florida Association of Aquatic Biologists (FAB), formerly the Florida Association of Benthologists, was established in 1987 to provide a forum for the exchange of scientific information and training for aquatic biologists, benthologists and scientists in related disciplines. The membership of FAB is dedicated to promoting and advancing the understanding of the structure and function of freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems and their adjacent habitats. Members use aquatic community structures and processes to evaluate water quality conditions and ecosystem functions that foster awareness of rare or endangered aquatic organisms, the habitat requirements of the aquatic invertebrate community and their usefulness in habitat assessment and conservation.
FAB promotes aquatic biology through research and education by conducting regular meetings and workshops at which presentations are made on a variety of environmental, taxonomic and aquatic biological studies in a collegial environment that encourages constructive feedback. The meetings include oral presentations, posters and invited sessions on basic and applied research while the workshops are dedicated to the taxonomy of freshwater, estuarine and marine environment invertebrates and led by experts in their respective fields. Field excursions, which allow participants to observe and often collect in a diverse range of aquatic environments, are an important component of both the meetings and workshops.
FAB members include aquatic biologists, taxonomists (morphological and molecular) and other scientists representing a diversity of academic, consulting, environmental, government, commercial and public interests.