Ralph E.h. Smith

Biography

Dr. Ralph E.H. Smith is a professor in the Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada.

Research Interest

Professor Smith's interests are in the general area of freshwater ecology, with emphasis on primary producers, their interactions with natural and anthropogenic environmental factors, and their implications for ecosystem function. Key goals are to improve our understanding of aquatic ecosystem responses to invasive species, climate change (especially altered ultraviolet radiation exposure) and human alteration of nutrient and organic matter inputs. The Laurentian Great Lakes and other very large lakes are Professor Smith's main objects of study. Current projects include a major emphasis on new and emerging methods for the study and modeling of large lake ecosystems. These projects include studies of the anoxia problem in Lake Erie, the effects of ultraviolet radiation on production processes in lakes, the ecological basis for algal fouling problems in Lake Ontario, and the role of physical forces in fish population dynamics in large lakes. Three dimensional computer models for analysis of environmental problems in lakes have also been an area of interest.