2012 IAGLR Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Dr. Mohiuddin Munawar President/Chief Editor, AEHMS

Abstract

On 16 May 2012, Dr. Mohiuddin Munawar, President of the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society and Chief Editor was honoured by being awarded the International Association for Great Lakes Research's Lifetime Achievement Award. This award was presented to Dr. Munawar by the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) for outstanding contributions in the field of Great Lakes Research. Dr. Munawar's remarkable achievements have been widely recognized (Table 1), including by the award of an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He has had an outstanding career as a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, contributing to the understanding of basic science and ecology of the Canadian Great Lakes.Nevertheless, in 1989 he had a vision of the need to expand the scope of his professional activities from science alone, to integrate the “human in” approach of Dr. Jack Vallentyne, and to globalize the scope of his attention. This led to the establishment of the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society, and subsequently the production of the international Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management scientific journal and the Ecovision World Monograph book series. Dr. Munawar's contributions to the science and management of aquatic resources were greatly enlarged by this vision, but it was his dedication, determination and focus over many decades that allowed them to manifest. It was his ability to develop and maintain productive long-term relationships with colleagues, with staff, with other professionals and the enduring support of his family that sustained that power. His ability to bridge cultures and languages and to negotiate mutually-beneficial relationships and activities, despite great physical distance between Dr. Munawar and his collaborators, brought the necessary scope and context. All led to the completion of successful scientific conferences, symposia and workshops leaving a lasting legacy in the form of scientific publications and books, beneficial learning and collegial experiences for participants. The geographical scope of these activities and published legacy includes, and is not limited to, Canada and the United States, the North American Great Lakes, European rivers and lakes, ecology of the South China Sea, tropical coastal ecosystems, South-East Asia, major rivers of India, Russian lakes, Mexican lakes, African rivers, and the Persian Gulf. Most recently, Dr. Munawar has been recognized by the Inland Fisheries Society of India for the recent Ecovision books: Ecosystem Health of the River Ganges and Fisheries of Major River Systems of India.It is an honour to congratulate Dr. Munawar on his receipt of this so well-deserved IAGLR Lifetime Achievement Award.Respectfully submitted by: