Monday, October 26, 2015
Bill’s focus on microbial ecology, and on nutrient dynamics, a passion of Rigler, makes this award particularly fitting. Bill’s work has informed our understanding of nutrient dynamics, and associated eutrophication concerns on four continents. More broadly, his work has included both the fundamental and applied, on topics ranging from microbes to zooplankton, plants, fish, invasive species and watersheds. He has published more than 100 papers, and is noted for his extensive contribution to university service, and student training. He has also served as a member of the International Joint Commission, addressing issues of eutrophication, invasive species, and ecosystem health.
Some of Bill’s most influential work demonstrated that our most commonly used spectrophotometric methods for measuring phosphate concentrations yield vast overestimates of phosphate concentration, and that planktonic phosphorus regeneration is a key to planktonic supplies.
As award recipient, Bill will deliver the Frank Rigler Lecture at the 2016 SCL/CCFFR (Canadian Conference for Fisheries Research) meeting in St John’s, when he will also be recognized for his leadership and influential contributions to Canadian limnology.
Bill Taylor is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the Department of Biology and is currently serving as Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo.