The Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment” (FADA) is an informal network of scientists specialized in freshwater biodiversity.

The main product of FADA is a special issue of Hydrobiologia that compiles all contributions on freshwater animal groups. The aim is to cover the whole range of freshwater taxa from nematods or bryozoans to mammals and birds, including a specific chapter on macrophytes. but excluding microbes, virus, protists, and algae. In addition, all groups which are exclusively parasitic and not entirely aquatic are not included (i.e. Acanthocephala, Monogenea, Digenea). The special issue consists of a total of 59 groups/chapters. Some chapters address a whole phylum (Rotifera, Porifera ...), others address a class, an order or even a family depending on the number of species and on the available taxonomic expertise.

The FADA database is an information system dedicated to freshwater animal species diversity and distribution. The system provides access to authoritative species lists and global distribution compiled by world experts for the FADA book.