International Society of Limnology (SIL)

What International Society of Limnology (SIL) does

The International Society of Limnology (SIL) is a non-profit international scientific society founded in 1922 and headquartered in an undisclosed international jurisdiction, dedicated to advancing limnology — the study of inland waters including lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. The organization serves a global membership of academic limnologists, graduate students, early career researchers, and researchers from developing countries through a portfolio of publications, biennial congresses, working groups, awards, and mentorship programs. With only nine employees, SIL operates as a lean membership society using its website (limnology.org) and social channels (Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn) to coordinate community activity.

SIL's core products include the peer-reviewed journal "Inland Waters" published in partnership with Taylor & Francis, the SIL News newsletter (Issues 21 through 87+), SIL Occasional Publications (Mitteilungen, since 1953), Congress Proceedings (Verhandlungen), SIL Communications, and SIL Annual Circulars. The society administers five named awards — the Naumann-Thienemann Medal (highest international honor in limnology, awarded since 1948), Baldi Memorial Lecture, Peter Kilham Memorial Award, Tonolli Fellowship, and Wetzel SIL Congress Travel Award — plus the Brian Moss Student Competition. Eight specialized working groups (Aquatic Invasive Species, Asian Tropical Inland Waters, CyaNut for cyanobacterial blooms, Dryland Limnology, Lake Restoration, Plankton Ecology Group, Physical Limnology, Early Career Researchers) aggregate thematic subcommunities. SIL's flagship event is the biennial SIL Congress; the next is the ASLO-SIL Joint Meeting scheduled May 12-16, 2026 in Montreal.

The society's business model combines subscription-based membership dues (tiered: $15 for a 3-year student membership, $8-$25 annually for early career researchers, with reduced fees for researchers from countries with GDP per capita ≤US$25,000), publication revenue shared with Taylor & Francis, biennial congress registration fees, and voluntary donations processed online. Distribution is multi-channel: self-serve website enrollment via the shocklogic platform, Taylor & Francis global journal distribution, in-person congress participation, national ambassadors in the USA, Germany, China, Brazil, Australia, and South Africa, and direct outreach through working groups. SIL is governed by an International Committee and Executive Board, holds no parent company, and reports no subsidiaries or M&A activity.

Name

International Society of Limnology (SIL)

Legal name

International Society of Limnology

Website

https://limnology.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Society of Limnology (SIL) is a non-profit international scientific society founded in 1922 that serves the global limnology community through peer-reviewed publications, biennial congresses, thematic working groups, awards, and mentorship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scientific Society & Academic Publishing

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADANAE

Accreditation & Metrology Cooperation (Calibration, Measurement Standards)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Standards, Policy & Regulatory Cooperation

SECONDARYEDAOAOAJ

Forestry, Arboriculture & Silviculture

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Agriculture, Horticulture & Skilled Trades

SECONDARYBPAHAJAF

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Consulting

Keywords

• Scientific publishing
• Membership society
• Academic conferences
• Limnology research
• Professional awards

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual limnologists and researchers, with tiered pricing for students, early career researchers, and regular members.
2. Publications Revenue: Revenue from journal publications including Inland Waters and SIL occasional publications, sold through Taylor & Francis.
3. Congress Registrations: Registration fees from biennial SIL Congresses and joint meetings such as ASLO-SIL 2026 in Montreal.
4. Donations: Voluntary donations from members and supporters to support SIL programs and initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SIL is a non-profit international scientific society that advances the study of inland waters through membership subscriptions, peer-reviewed publications (Inland Waters journal, SIL News newsletter, occasional publications, congress proceedings), biennial congresses and joint meetings, prestigious awards (Naumann-Thienemann Medal, Baldi, Kilham, Tonolli, Wetzel), and specialized thematic working groups. It also administers mentorship programs for students, early career researchers, and researchers from developing economies.

Product overview

The International Society of Limnology (SIL) operates as a scientific society offering a portfolio of publications, awards, programs, and events for the global limnological community. Core offerings include the peer-reviewed journal 'Inland Waters' and the 'SIL News' newsletter. The society publishes occasional publications including taxonomic guides and proceedings. SIL administers prestigious awards including the Naumann-Thienemann Medal (the highest honor in international limnology), Baldi Award, Kilham Award, Tonolli Fellowship, and Wetzel Travel Award. Student and early-career support programs include the Brian Moss Student Competition, SIL Mentorship Program, and Inland Waters Associate Editor Mentorship. The society organizes working groups on specialized topics (aquatic invasive species, cyanobacterial blooms, lake restoration, plankton ecology, physical limnology, etc.) and hosts international congresses including the ASLO-SIL Joint Meeting 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inland Waters Journal
• SIL News Newsletter (SILNEWS)
• SIL Occasional Publications Irregular communications (Mitteilungen) published since 1953, covering methodology and symposium proceedings including species identification guides and taxonomic references for the limnological research community.
• Congress Proceedings (Verhandlungen) Proceedings from SIL congresses documenting scientific presentations and research from the society's international meetings, made available to the limnological community.
• SIL Communications (Mitteilungen) International Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte Limnologie communications covering symposium methodology and proceedings for the limnological research community.
• SIL Annual Circular Annual circular publications providing society updates and administrative information for SIL members.
• Brian Moss Student Competition Annual competition for students recognizing outstanding contributions to limnology, with first, second, and third place awards. Scheduled for 2026.
• Naumann-Thienemann Medal The highest honor SIL bestows for outstanding scientific contributions to limnology, awarded at each congress since 1948. Originally the Einar Naumann Medal, renamed in 1972 to honor both Einar Naumann and August Thienemann.
• Baldi Memorial Lectures Award Prestigious lecture series named in honor of Baldi, recognizing outstanding contributions to limnology.
• Peter Kilham Memorial Award Award recognizing outstanding achievements in limnological research, administered through the Peter Kilham Memorial Fund.
• Tonolli Fellowship Award Fellowship award supporting early-career researchers in limnology.
• Wetzel SIL Congress Travel Award Travel award enabling researchers to attend SIL Congresses, supporting international participation in the biennial meetings.
• SIL Working Groups Specialized thematic interest groups covering Aquatic Invasive Species, Asian Tropical Inland Waters, Cyanobacterial blooms (CyaNut), Dryland Limnology, Lake Restoration, Plankton Ecology, Physical Limnology, and Early Career Researchers. Members join these groups to engage with peers on specific limnological topics.
• SIL Mentorship Program Program connecting experienced limnologists with students and early-career researchers from developing countries for career guidance and scientific development.
• Inland Waters Associate Editor Mentorship Mentorship program pairing students with Inland Waters journal associate editors for publishing guidance and editorial experience.
• ASLO-SIL Joint Meeting 2026 Joint meeting with the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography scheduled for May 12-16, 2026 in Montreal, Canada. Registration required for participation, with abstract submission and poster presentations.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIL Awards recognize outstanding contributions to limnology globally, including the Naumann-Thienemann Medal awarded to approximately 1-2 recipients per year since 1948

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026SIL and ASLO co-organize joint meetings, including the upcoming ASLO-SIL 2026 Joint Meeting in Montreal (May 12-16, 2026). These joint meetings combine the two leading aquatic science societies for shared conference programming, student webinars, and networking opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Freshwater Biological Association (FBA): FBA is a UK-based scientific organization focused on freshwater biology and limnology research, operating membership, publications, and research programs. It is a directly comparable niche peer focused on freshwater/limnological science.
• International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR): IAGLR is a focused scientific society dedicated to Great Lakes research—a discrete subsection of limnology. It operates similarly to SIL with conferences, publications (JGLR), and member programming, making it a closely comparable regional/global niche peer.
• Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS): SWS is a niche scientific society covering wetlands—an inland water ecosystem overlapping SIL's limnology mandate. It runs journals (Wetlands), annual meetings, and award programs like SIL, making it a directly comparable scientific society peer.
• Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO): ASLO is the closest peer—another international aquatic science society covering limnology and oceanography. SIL and ASLO co-host joint meetings (ASLO-SIL 2026 in Montreal), share overlapping membership, and operate peer-reviewed journals, making them the most directly comparable organizations.

Broad incumbents

• Ecological Society of America (ESA): ESA is a large ecology society publishing journals and hosting annual meetings. Many limnologists publish in ESA journals and attend ESA events, making it a broad incumbent that overlaps with aquatic ecology portions of SIL's scope.
• European Geosciences Union (EGU): EGU hosts a large annual assembly covering hydrology, biogeosciences, and ocean sciences with strong overlap to SIL's themes. It serves as a European-based broad incumbent that competes with SIL for water-science membership and abstract submissions.
• American Geophysical Union (AGU): AGU is a much larger Earth and space sciences society that includes significant sections on hydrology, ocean sciences, and biogeosciences. It addresses many limnology-adjacent audiences, serving as a broad incumbent for water-related research communities.
• International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS): IAHS is the international scientific association for hydrology covering the full water cycle. While broader than limnology, it overlaps significantly on inland waters research and provides a comparable model of an international water-focused scientific society.

Emerging players

• Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC): SETAC addresses environmental contamination in aquatic systems, providing an adjacent but more applied/regulatory peer. Many limnologists participate in SETAC events, making it an emerging-player peer with overlapping interest in freshwater quality.
• Phycological Society of America (PSA): PSA focuses on algae research, including harmful algal blooms and phytoplankton ecology that directly intersect with SIL's Plankton Ecology and CyaNut working groups. It functions as an adjacent niche scientific society with overlapping research communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SIL_limnology
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@silinternationalsocietyofl291
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-society-of-limnology-sil
• Instagraminstagram.com/sil_limnology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Society of Limnology (SIL)