ISU Professor Elected President of Aquatic Science Group

AMES, Iowa — An Iowa State University professor has been elected to a leadership position for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). John Downing's election was announced June 7 at the organization's summer business meeting in Santa Fe, N.M. Downing's six-year term will include two years each as president-elect, president and past-president. He previously served on ASLO's board of directors. ASLO is the world's largest professional scientific organization dedicated to the study of aquatic systems, covering the full spectrum from freshwater to the marine sciences. It's 4,000 members come from around the globe, with 40 percent of the membership residing outside of the United States in more than 20 countries. "ASLO is especially notable now because of major environmental issues in the Gulf of Mexico," Downing said. "ASLO members are the principal source of independent scientific expertise on understanding and repairing damage in the Gulf, as we supply experts and information to government through our Washington policy office." Downing is a professor in Iowa State's ecology, evolution and organismal biology department, as well at the agricultural and biosystems engineering department. He chairs the Environmental Science graduate program and teaches in the Biology and Environmental Science undergraduate program. Downing also volunteers to assist Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, Minn., with a program in water quality technology. Downing is director of the limnology laboratory at Iowa State. The lab is the home of the Iowa Lakes Survey, which involves collecting and analyzing annual data on the water quality of more than 130 lakes throughout the state. He also directs water quality monitoring work in northern Minnesota. Downing has been involved in numerous lake restoration diagnostic and feasibility studies in Iowa and Minnesota. He leads multi-year studies on the Okoboji chain of lakes, Black Hawk Lake, Easter Lake, Lake Rathbun and Ada Hayden Heritage Park in Iowa, plus Deer and Pokegama Lakes in Minnesota. Conservation of aquatic biodiversity also is an interest of Downing's, with particular attention to research on freshwater mussels and reasons they have experienced the highest rates of local extinction of any animal group on the planet. Downing has been a member of Iowa State's faculty since 1995. He earned a bachelor's degree from Hamline University in St. Paul, a master's at North Dakota State University and a doctorate at McGill University in Montreal. He was formerly a professor and director of the Laurentian Biological Station at the University of Montreal.