The Water Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Bailey, Professor, Biology, Ontario Tech University, will deliver a keynote lecture at the Water Institute’s annual World Water Day celebration on March 20, 2020.
Dr. Bailey will present a lecture entitled “Bioassessment of freshwater ecosystems: 50 years of progress and frustration; 5 suggestions”.
Since the 60s, bioassessment of freshwater ecosystems has evolved from indicator species and biotic indices to complex predictive models. With progress, though, there has also been frustration with the slow pace of applying bioassessment research to management practice. Dr. Bailey will suggest five ways we can relieve the frustration, including i) building better conceptual models for the effects of the natural environment and human activity on ecosystems, ii) doing a better job of defining the reference condition and distinguishing it from an aspirational management target, iii) doing a better job of describing the biota in an ecosystem, iv) doing a better job of defining an environmentally significant deviation from the reference condition, and v) doing a better job of building and using predictive models.
Dr. Bailey was a professor at Western for more than 20 years and served over a decade in senior academic administration. He is on sabbatical before becoming what he calls a “real prof” again, thinking about what’s been achieved and where we should go next with quantitative bioassessment.
Registration is now open for the Water Institute’s World Water Day celebration. This public event will take place in the Science & Teaching Complex on Friday, March 20, and will share the United Nations world water day theme of "Water and Climate Change". Stay tuned for further program details.
Register for the Water Institute’s World Water Day here.
