News Release

Aquatic scientist praised for holistic research

Hutchinson Award goes to Springer editor from Canada

Grant and Award Announcement

Springer

Heidelberg, January 26, 2007. This year's G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) is given to the highly decorated Springer editor John P. Smol from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada. Since 1982, the prize has been presented annually honoring excellence in any aspect of limnology and oceanography. Considerable contributions to knowledge and a promising legacy for future work are the main criteria for the committee's decision.

John P. Smol was born in Montreal, where he received his BSc in marine biology from McGill University in 1977, followed two years later by his MSc in limnology from Brock University, St. Catherines. He earned his PhD in 1982 from Queen's University in Kingston, where he was promoted to Full Professor in 1991. By giving the prize to him, the Hutchinson Award Committee acknowledges Smol's outstanding performance in the field of ecology of lakes and rivers. Using different biological indicators, such as fossils, he examines the ancient history of lakes to outline the consequences of pollution and global environmental change.

In political circles, Smol is well known as a never tiring advocate for the environment and the importance of scientific research to reach sound policy decisions. His great contributions to the study of paleolimnology moved the research field from a largely descriptive science to a quantitative and precise science. Smol has authored more than 320 journal papers and chapters and has also completed 15 books since 1980. In his role as a Springer co-editor, he founded the Journal of Paleolimnology and co-founded the book series Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research.

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Contact:

Markus Fertig
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