David Schindler facts for kids

David William Schindler (August 3, 1940 – March 4, 2021) was a very important American and Canadian scientist. He studied fresh water, a field called limnology. He worked as a professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Schindler was famous for his "whole-lake experiments" at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA). These experiments showed that a chemical called phosphorus caused too much algae to grow in lakes. This problem is known as eutrophication. His work led to phosphates being banned in detergents to protect lakes. He also did important research on acid rain.

Later, Schindler studied fresh water shortages and how climate change affects Canada's northern forests and mountains. He received many awards for his scientific work, including the first Stockholm Water Prize in 1991.

Early Life and School

David Schindler was born on August 3, 1940, in Fargo, North Dakota, in the U.S. He grew up in Barnesville, Minnesota. He was a citizen of both Canada and the U.S.

He earned his first degree in zoology from North Dakota State University in 1962. After that, he went to Oxford University in England as a special scholar. There, he studied how living things interact with their environment, which is called ecology. He got his PhD in ecology from Oxford University in 1966.

Groundbreaking Research

The Experimental Lakes Area (ELA)

From 1968 to 1989, David Schindler led a special research site called the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA). This area, located near Kenora, Ontario, Canada, was like a natural laboratory. Scientists at ELA studied whole lakes to understand how they work and how pollution affects them.

Schindler's most famous work at ELA involved adding different substances to entire lakes. This "whole-ecosystem approach" helped him prove important things. For example, he showed that phosphorus was the main reason for too much algae growing in lakes. This problem, called eutrophication, can harm fish and make lakes unhealthy. His research also showed that acid rain could damage lakes even at low levels.

Because of his clear findings, many countries, including Canada, the U.S., and those in Europe, changed their laws. They started controlling pollutants and limiting phosphorus to protect fresh water.

Protecting Our Waters

David Schindler was also concerned about the environment in other ways.

Oil Sands and River Health

In 2019, Schindler spoke out about the "oil sands tailings ponds." These are large ponds that hold waste water from oil production. He warned against allowing treated waste water from these ponds to be released into the Athabasca River. He believed it could harm the river and its living things.

Warnings from The Algal Bowl

In 2008, Schindler co-wrote a book called The Algal Bowl: Overfertilization of the World's Freshwaters and Estuaries. In this book, he warned about the growing problem of algal blooms and "dead zones" in water. He explained that these harmful blooms, which once affected the Great Lakes, were spreading. He stressed that people, industries, and farms were using and polluting fresh water too much, leading to serious problems for water quality around the world.

Awards and Recognition

David Schindler received more than a hundred awards during his career. These awards recognized his important work in protecting fresh water.

In 1991, he won the very first Stockholm Water Prize. This award honored his long-term studies on how too many nutrients and acid rain affect lakes. A famous photo of a Canadian lake, which showed the effects of phosphorus, helped people understand the problem and support efforts to clean up lakes.

In 2006, he received the Tyler Award for Environmental Achievement. This award is given to people who have made huge contributions to environmental science.

In 2008, he was given the Alberta Order of Excellence. This award recognized him as a leading scientist who helped protect fresh water in Canada and globally. His research helped warn people and governments about how pollution and climate change affect our environment.

Other Important Awards

• Sandford Fleming Award for explaining science to the public (2009)
• Officer of the Order of Canada (2004)
• Killam Prize for his research (2003)
• Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering (2001)
• Fellow of the Royal Society (2001)
• G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award (1985)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (1983)
• Rhodes Scholarship (1962–1966)

See also

In Spanish: David Schindler para niños