Officer of the Order of Canada
- Awarded on: October 30, 2003
- Invested on: December 10, 2004
David Schindler has worked to sensitize us to the importance of a healthy ecosystem. He used whole lake experiments to prove that the rapidly increasing growth of algae was due primarily to inputs of phosphorous. His results helped to convince policy makers and the public of the importance of removing phosphorous from detergents and controlling other sources of phosphorous. In the 1970s, he conducted similar large-scale experiments with acid rain, documenting its devastating effects on fish and other organisms. He has also shown that climate change will have severe detrimental effects on freshwater resources. Killam Memorial Professor of Ecology at the University of Alberta, he continues to work for a healthier environment.