AWARDS
The Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences each year makes
calls for a number of award nominations to recognize the
best and brightest among our field, and to support
student travel to our annual meeting.
2023 Recipient/Récipiendaire de l'année 2023 Dr. Beatrix Beisner Professor, Department of Biological Sciences/ Département des Sciences Biologiques The 2023 Rigler awardee is Dr. Beatrix Beisner, professor at the University of Quebec at Montreal. Her research focuses on plankton community ecology, with research themes encompassing biodiversity and invasion ecology. Over her research career so far, Dr. Beisner has trained 14 postdoctoral fellows, 24 PhD students, and 28 MSc students, and published over 100 peer-reviewed articles that have had lasting impact on the field. Some of Dr. Beisner’s most significant contributions include work on aquatic community dynamics as they relate to climate change and the application of functional ecology in planktonic communities. Her paper on alternative stable states in ecology (Beisner et al. 2003) has been particularly well cited across disciplines. Dr. Beisner is an established leader in Canadian limnology and is currently the co-director of the Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie et Environnement Aquatique (GRIL) and has been instrumental in organizing annual meetings, collaborative research projects, and providing access to critical infrastructure for limnological research. The research that has emerged from GRIL is renowned across Canada and globally. La gagnante du prix Rigler 2023 est Docteure Beatrix Beisner, une professeure à l'Université du Québec à Montréal. Ses recherches se concentrent sur l'écologie des communautés planctoniques, avec des thèmes de recherche comprenant la biodiversité et l'écologie des invasions. Au cours de sa carrière scientifique, Docteure Beisner a entraîné 14 boursiers postdoctoraux, 24 étudiants en doctorat et 28 étudiants en maîtrise et a publié plus de 100 articles révisés par des pairs qui ont eu un impact considérable dans le domaine de la limnologie. Les contributions les plus importantes du Docteure Beisner comprennent des travaux sur la dynamique des communautés aquatiques en relation avec les changements climatiques et l'application de l'écologie fonctionnelle aux communautés planctoniques. Son article sur les états stables alternatifs en écologie (Beisner et al. 2003) a été particulièrement cité dans toutes les disciplines. Docteure Beisner est chef de file établi en limnologie canadienne et est actuellement co-directrice du Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie et Environnement Aquatique (GRIL). Elle a joué un rôle essentiel dans l'organisation des réunions annuelles, des projets de recherche en collaboration et a fourni l'accès à l'infrastructure critique pour la recherche en limnologie. La recherche réalisée par le GRIL est reconnue au Canada et dans le monde entier. Félicitations Bea ! |
FRANK RIGLER AWARD HISTORY
| The Frank H. Rigler Award was first presented in 1984 to recognize and honour major achievements in the field of limnology by Canadians or those working in Canada. Emphasis in selection is given to established aquatic scientists with a proven record of contribution to the field of aquatic sciences, and whose work is widely recognized for its influence and importance. The winner of the award will give an overview on their research during the plenary session of the Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences annual meeting and will receive complimentary registration at the meeting and a one-year membership with the Society. Frank Harold Rigler (1928-1982) was an accomplished aquatic biologist who helped shape the field of limnology in Canada. He was a professor at the University of Toronto (1957-1976) and Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at McGill University (1976-1982). For more details on his life and career please see:
Obituary for Frank Harold Rigler. |
NOMINATION PROCESS A nomination for the Frank Rigler Award shall consists of: 1. A cover letter, not to exceed two pages in length (single-spaced, 12-pt Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins), describing clearly how the nominee has made a lasting contribution to the field of limnology, either as a Canadian citizen abroad or to the field of limnology in Canada. Contributions that should be highlighted in the nomination can include (but are not limited to) evidence of work that has a scope that is both broad and of high-impact; evidence of work that has directly influenced aquatic science policy, and major public outreach initiatives involving the candidate that increase awareness regarding the importance of freshwater resources to Canadians. The cover letter must also confirm the nominee’s commitment to attend the upcoming society meeting and, if selected, present the Rigler lecture. 2. A CV covering the applicant’s full scientific career that highlights employment history, publication record, funding held, contributions to training of students, invited lectures and contributions to public outreach, honours and prizes, and journal editorships and reviewing. 3. Nominations should be sent to the Awards Chair (Caleb Hasler, c.hasler@uwinnipeg.ca) by May 15, each year. |
PAST RIGLER AWARD LAUREATES |
2022 – Sherry Schiff 2021 – Karen Kidd 2020 – Brian Cumming 2019 – Bernadette Pinel-Alloul 2018 – Anthony Ricciardi 2017 – Jules Blais 2016 – William D.Taylor 2015 – Daniel E. Schindler 2014 – Franics Pick 2013 – Ray Hesslein 2012 – Paul del Giorgio 2011 – Hugh MacIsaac 2010 – Joseph Rasmussen 2009 – Carol A. Kelly and William M. Rudd 2008 – William (Bill) Keller 2007 – Peter Leavitt 2006 – Robert Hecky 2005 – Yves Prairie 2004 – W. G. (Gary) Sprules 2003 – Derek Muir | 2002 – Jack Valentyne 2001 – Peter Dillon 2000 – David Lean 1999 – Everett Fee 1998 – Norman Yan 1997 – Andre Tessier 1996 – Dolores Planas 1995 – John P. Smol 1994 – Ellie E. Prepas 1993 – Robert H. Peters 1992 – Warrick F. Vincent 1991 – No Award 1990 – Kasimierz Patalas 1989 – Jaap Kalff 1988 – Jerome O. Nriagu 1987 – Thomas G. Northcote 1986 – Richard A. Vollenweider 1985 – No Award 1984 – D.W. Schindler |
2023 Peters Award Recipient
Graydon McKee
The winner of the 2023 Peters Award is Graydon McKee, a recent graduate from Lakehead University. Graydon’s paper titled, “Alternative migratory strategies related to life history differences in the walleye (Sander vitreus)” was published in Movement Ecology (McKee et al. 2022). In the words of Graydon’s nominator, “Graydon’s work stands to make a significant contribution to understanding the inherent variation that exists within managed populations like fisheries, indicating that management strategies targeted at “a population” without recognizing this variation is unlikely to succeed, or alternatively, only potentially benefit one fraction of the population”. Le gagnant du prix Peters 2023 est Graydon McKee, récemment diplômé de l'Université Lakehead. L'article de Graydon est intitulé " Stratégies migratoires alternatives liées aux différences de cycle biologique chez le doré jaune (Sander vitreus) " et a été publié dans le journal Movement Ecology en 2022. Selon la personne qui a proposé la candidature de Graydon, "le travail de Graydon contribuera de manière substantielle à la compréhension de la variation inhérente qui existe chez les populations régulées par les pêcheries, indiquant que les stratégies de régulation visant "une population" sans tenir compte de cette variation peuvent être inefficaces ou, au contraire, de ne profiter qu'à une fraction de la population". |
![]() Robert Henry Peters (1946 - 1996) | The Robert H. Peters Award recognizes the best aquatic sciences paper published in the preceding year by a Canadian student or a student working in Canada. The student must be an undergraduate or graduate student and must be first author on the publication. The value of the award is $500 and a complimentary one-year membership to the Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences. The award is presented at the annual Society meeting at which time the awardee presents a summary of their paper. Robert Henry Peters was an accomplished aquatic ecologist who made novel contributions to limnology, particularly in the fields of phosphorus cycling and predictive ecology. He spent most of his career as a Professor in the Department of Biology at McGill University (1974-1996). To learn more about Peters life and impact in freshwater science, here are some additional resources: Kalff, J. 1996. Obituary for Robert Henry Peters. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 53:1692-1694. Pace, M.L. and P. delGiorgio. 1996. In Memoriam Dr. Robert H. Peters. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 142:1. delGiorgio, P., Y. Prairie and M.L. Pace. 1997. Robert H. Peters honored with ASLO’s citation for scientific excellence. ASLO Bulletin 6(1):23-25. (Copyright 1997 by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.) Downing, J.A. 1997. In Memorium: Robert Henry Peters (1946-1996). ASLO Bulletin 6(1):25-27. |
This award is facilitated by the generous |
NOMINATIONS 1. A paper can be considered for the Peters’ Award if it is published within the time period of one year prior to the deadline for nominations, and the first author is a student or has recently graduated. A paper is considered “published” once it is posted on-line by the journal or appears in hardcopy, whichever occurs first. A single body of work may only be considered for nomination once. 3. Nominations should be sent to the Awards Chair (Caleb Hasler, c.hasler@uwinnipeg.ca) by May 15, each year. PAST PETERS AWARD LAUREATES |
2022 –– Joanna Gauthier 2021 – Madison Bell and Matthew Duda 2020 – Kyra A. St. Pierre 2019 – Marie-Eve Monchamp 2018 – Matthew Guzzo 2017 – Jaime Summers and Daniel Grégoire 2016 – Matt Bogard 2015 – Sophie Chiasson-Gould | 2014 – Dominic Vachon 2013 – Zofia Taranu 2012 – Jennifer Korosi 2011 – Henry F. Wilson 2010 – Adam Jeziorski 2009 – Jason Venkiteswaran 2008 – Mark Graham 2007 – Greg Silsb |