My passion for fish ecology, biodiversity and nature conservation runs like a thread through my scientific career. Communication, dedication, perseverance, and patience are all key parts of my work. My strengths are in conducting fundamental research, communicating with scientists and volunteers from various research fields, and providing constructive solutions by balancing the interests of various stakeholders. I'm always looking for new ways to get people and organisations to collaborate effectively in order to promote conservation. I believe that transboundary cooperation is essential for effective conservation of freshwater biodiversity and that this should be facilitated as much as possible through science.