National Wetland Award, U.S. EPA and Environmental Law Institute (1996); Odum Lecturer, University of Georgia (1998);Stockholm Water Prize (2004); Theodore M. Sperry Award,Society for Ecological Restoration International (for a career in ecosystem restoration, 2005); Lifetime Achievement Award, Society of Wetland Scientists (2007); Einstein Professorship, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (2010); Doctorate honoris causa, Tartu University, Estonia (2010); Certificate for Concurrent Professorship, Nanjing Forestry University, China (2011); The Ramsar Convention Award for Merit (2015); Outstanding Wetland Scientist Award, 10th INTECOL (International Association of Ecology) Wetland Conference, Changshu, China (2016); Odum Award, American Ecological Engineering Society (2018)
William Mitsch (March 29, 1947 – February 12, 2025)[1] was an ecosystem ecologist and ecological engineer who was co-laureate of the 2004Stockholm Water Prize in August 2004 as a result of a career in wetland ecology and restoration, ecological engineering, and ecological modelling.
His most significant contributions are 1. development of the field ofecological engineering as an author of the first book on this subject and the founder (in 1992) and editor-in-chief of the scientific journalEcological Engineering,[2] 2. creation of theOlentangy River Wetland Research Park, a unique 20-hectare (50-acre) wetland research laboratory and nowRamsar Wetland of International Importance at TheOhio State University, 3. major contributions toward the development of the field of wetland ecology, particularly as first author of five editions of the standard textbookWetlands,[3] a book that continues to be used around the world to teachwetland ecology. That book has educated several generations of wetland scientists since it was first introduced in 1986. Dr. Mitsch's research has emphasized wetlands for nutrient removal in the agricultural Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) River Basin (Mitsch et al. 2001, 2012, 2014)[4] and more recently to protect the Florida Everglades (Mitsch et al. 2015; Marois and Mitsch 2015a; Mitsch 2016a; Mitsch et al., 2018) and Lake Erie in the Laurentian Great Lakes (Mitsch et al., 2017). His recent research continues to focus on solving harmful algal blooms, including red tide, with treatment wetlands and restored landscapes (Griffiths and Mitsch, 2017; Nesbit and Mitsch, 2018; Mitsch, 2018) and also on theecosystem service of natural and restored/created wetlands in mitigatingclimate change (Mitsch et al. 2010, 2013; Villa and Mitsch, 2015; Marois and Mitsch 2015b; Li and Mitsch, 2016; Mitsch 2016b; Mitsch and Mander, 2018).[5]
Mitsch is currently Eminent Scholar and Director,Everglades Wetland Research Park,[6]Florida Gulf Coast University,Naples,Florida. Before October 2012 he was Distinguished Professor of Environment and Natural Resources at TheOhio State University and Director of the university's Wilma H. SchiermeierOlentangy River Wetland Research Park.[7] His research and teaching has focused on wetland biogeochemistry, wetland creation and restoration, ecological engineering, and ecosystem modeling. Dr. Mitsch has authored or co-authored over 600 papers, books, published abstracts and other publications in ecological and environmental science. He is co-author or co-editor of 20 books including senior author ofEcological Engineering (1989),Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration (2004), 5 editions ofWetlands (1986–2015), andWetland Ecosystems (2009).
His international activity includes serving as a Fulbright Senior Specialist at the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre,University of Botswana in 2007 and at the Bialystok University of Technology in Poland in 2016, a Fulbright Fellow,University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1986–1987) and an advisor/researcher for several Chinese universities;United Nations Environmental Programme, Egypt and Jordan;EARTH University, Costa Rica; IAMZ (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza), Spain; SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment), Paris, France; and MISTRA (Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research), Sweden, among other locations. He was chair of EcoSummit 2012 held in Columbus, Ohio, USA and is co-chair of EcoSummit 2016 held in Montpellier, France.
Among his awards, Mitsch and his colleague and frequent co-author Sven Jørgensen of Denmark received the 2004Stockholm Water Prize[8] from King Carl XVI Gustaf ofSweden on August 19, 2004, inStockholm, Sweden. He also received the National Wetland Research Award (1996) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental Law Institute, the Theodore M. Sperry Award (2005)[9] for a career in ecosystem restoration from the Society for Ecological Restoration, a SWS Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)[10] from theSociety of Wetland Scientists (SWS), an Einstein Professorship from theChinese Academy of Sciences (2010), and The Ramsar Convention Award for Merit presented at Ramsar Committee of Party (COP) 12th Congress, Puenta del Este, Uruguay on June 3, 2015.[11] HisOlentangy River Wetland Research Park atOhio State University became the 24th USA Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in June 2008 from theRamsar Convention in Switzerland.[12] In 2010, he was awarded Doctorate honoris causa by theUniversity of Tartu in Estonia.[13]
"Black Swamp Savior: How Bringing Back Conquered Wetlands Could Help Solve Harmful Algal Blooms" Lori Balster, Environmental Monitor, July 31, 2018[16]
"Restoration of historic Great Black Swamp could help save Lake Erie" Tom Henry, Toledo Blade September 22, 2017[17]
"Learning to Love the Great Black Swamp: Midwest settlers worked for generations to tame the wicked swamplands west of Lake Erie. Can they be convinced to give some back?" Sharon Levy, UNDARK March 31, 2017[18]
"Wheeling Central Grad Comes Home" Heather Ziegler, The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register 9 August 2015[19]
"Wetland warrior: Professor brings expertise to environmental front line: The Everglades" Drew Sterwald, Pinnacle, Florida Gulf Coast University's Magazine November 2012[20]
"A life bogged down: Biologist Bill Mitsch spent career at Ohio State creating world-class wetlands" Spencer Hunt, 2012. Columbus Dispatch 30 September 2012[21]
Day, J.W. Jr.; Hall, C.A.S.; Yáñez-Arancibia, A.; Pimentel, D.; Marti, C. Ibañez; Mitsch, W. J. (2009). "Ecology in times of scarcity".BioScience.59 (4):321–331.doi:10.1525/bio.2009.59.4.10.S2CID86161742.
Day, J.W. Jr.; Boesch, D. F.; Clairain, E. J.; Kemp, G. P.; Laska, S. B.; Mitsch, W. J.; Orth, K.; Mashriqui, H.; Reed, D. R.; Shabman, L.; Simenstad, C. A.; Streever, B. J.; Twilley, R. R.; Watson, C. C.; Wells, J. T. (2007). "Restoration of the Mississippi Delta: Lessons From Hurricanes Katrina and Rita".Science.315 (5819):1679–1684.Bibcode:2007Sci...315.1679D.doi:10.1126/science.1137030.PMID17379799.S2CID26092197.
Marois, D.E.; Mitsch, W.J. (2015a). "Modeling phosphorus retention at low concentrations in Florida Everglades mesocosms".Ecological Modelling.319:42–62.doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.09.024.
Marois, D.E.; Mitsch, W.J. (2015b). "Coastal protection from tsunamis and cyclones provided by mangrove wetlands--a review".International Journal for Biodiversity Science, Ecosystems Services and Management.11:71–83.doi:10.1080/21513732.2014.997292.S2CID86554474.
Mitsch, W.J. (2016a). "Restoring the Greater Florida Everglades, once and for all".Ecological Engineering.93:A1–A3.doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.02.016.
Mitsch, W.J. (2016b). "Wetlands and Climate Change".National Wetlands Newsletter.38 (1):5–11.
Mitsch, W.J.; Zhang, L.; Marois, D.; Song, K. (2015). "Protecting the Florida Everglades wetlands with wetlands: Can stormwater phosphorus be reduced to oligotrophic conditions?".Ecological Engineering.80:8–19.doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.10.006.
Mitsch, W.J.; Zhang, L.; Waletzko, E.; Bernal, B. (2014). "Validation of the ecosystem services of created wetlands: Two decades of plant succession, nutrient retention, and carbon sequestration in experimental riverine marshes".Ecological Engineering.72:11–24.doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.09.108.
Mitsch, W.J; Hernandez, M. (2013). "Landscape and climate change threats to wetlands of North and Central America".Aquatic Sciences.75:133–149.doi:10.1007/s00027-012-0262-7.S2CID13894723.
Mitsch, W.J.; Tejada, J.; Nahlik, A.M.; Kohlmann, B.; Bernal; Hernández, C.E. (2008). "Tropical wetlands for climate change research, water quality management and conservation education on a university campus in Costa Rica".Ecological Engineering.34 (4):276–288.doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2008.07.012.
Mitsch, W.J.; Day, J.W.; Zhang, Li; Lane, R.R. (2005). "Nitrate-nitrogen retention by wetlands in the Mississippi River Basin".Ecological Engineering.24 (4):267–278.doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2005.02.005.
Mitsch, W.J.; Day, J.W. Jr. (2004). "Thinking big with whole ecosystem studies and ecosystem restoration—A legacy of H.T. Odum".Ecological Modelling.178 (1–2):133–155.doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2003.12.038.
Mitsch, William J.; Day, John W. Jr.; Gilliam, J. Wendell; Groffman, Peter M.; Hey, Donald L.; Randall, Gyles W.; Wang, Naiming (2001). "Reducing nitrogen loading to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River Basin: Strategies to counter a persistent ecological problem".BioScience.51 (5):373–388.doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0373:rnlttg]2.0.co;2.S2CID87909881.
Mitsch, W.J.; Wu, X.; Nairn, R.W.; Weihe, P.E.; Wang, N.; Deal, R.; Boucher, C.E. (1998). "Creating and restoring wetlands: A whole-ecosystem experiment in self-design".BioScience.48 (12):1019–1030.doi:10.2307/1313458.JSTOR1313458.
Mitsch, W.J.; Wilson, R.F. (1996). "Improving the success of wetland creation and restoration with know-how, time, and self-design".Ecological Applications.6 (1):77–83.doi:10.2307/2269554.JSTOR2269554.
Mitsch, W.J. (1995). "Restoration of our lakes and rivers with wetlands—an important application of ecological engineering".Water Science and Technology.31 (8):167–177.doi:10.1016/0273-1223(95)00369-x.
Mitsch, W.J. (1993). "Ecological engineering—a cooperative role with the planetary life–support systems".Environmental Science & Technology.27 (3):438–445.Bibcode:1993EnST...27..438M.doi:10.1021/es00040a600.
Mitsch, W.J.; Rust, W.G. (1984). "Tree growth responses to flooding in a bottomland forest in northeastern Illinois".Forest Science.30:499–510.
Mitsch, W.J.; Dorge, C.L.; Wiemhoff, J.W. (1979). "Ecosystem dynamics and a phosphorus budget of an alluvial cypress swamp in southern Illinois".Ecology.60 (6):1116–1124.Bibcode:1979Ecol...60.1116M.doi:10.2307/1936959.JSTOR1936959.
