A legacy of research and mentorship in Florida limnology
This tribute, which originally appears in the Florida LAKEWATCH newsletter, was coordinated and written by LAKEWATCH Director Dr. Gretchen Lescord and her staff, with meaningful contributions from many colleagues, volunteers, and friends across the aquatic science community. A special thanks to Mark Hoyer for his assistance with this article.
It is with great sadness that we share the news of Dr. Daniel E. Canfield, Jr. passing on November 3, 2024. Dan was the founder of Florida LAKEWATCH, which has grown to be one of the largest and longest running volunteer water quality monitoring programs in the country. It is impossible to summarize all of Dan’s many achievements in this short article, but we highlight a few below, alongside reflections of Dan’s many colleagues and friends.
Dan was a faculty member in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (FAS), part of the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) at the University of Florida and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Services for 45 years. He will be remembered for his many contributions to the aquatic sciences, including authoring/coauthoring over 125 peer-reviewed articles, four books, and countless extension articles/reports in various fields of aquatic sciences. He worked locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally. At his core, Dan was an applied limnologist and was an active supporter of both the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) and the Florida Lakes Management Society (FLMS). Dan won NALMS’ highest award, the Secchi Disk award, in 1995, and FLMS initiated the “The Dr. Daniel E. Canfield, Jr. Volunteerism Award” in 2016 in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of participatory science and water management.
Together we studied streams, lakes and estuaries, primarily focusing on how the flora and fauna are related to background nutrients based on Florida’s geology and physiographic regions. The solid background of Florida limnology that Dan established will be a foundation of aquatic research in Florida for many decades. -Mark Hoyer, retired director Florida LAKEWATCH, past president of NALMS
Dan Canfield helped me in so many ways early in my career here in Florida. He provided data sets that we worked on together with graduate students, and helped me learn the ropes of management and conservation efforts around the state. Although we certainly did not always agree, he was a true pioneer in our field who genuinely wanted to help others.
-Mike Allen, SFFGS professor and director of UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS)
He was also a strong ‘people person.’ He freely shared his data with other scientists so they could use it in their studies. He learned the names of the people that cleaned the offices and mowed the lawns and treated them with respect.
-Roger Bachmann, visiting professor at UF, and Dan’s PhD supervisor and longtime colleague
In 1986, Dan started the Florida LAKEWATCH program, with help from colleagues Sandy Fisher and Mark Hoyer (whom Dan’s younger son is named after). The resulting long-term data on thousands of lakes, rivers, and estuaries by the program’s volunteers are invaluable, and will be used by many management and research professionals locally, statewide, nationally and internationally for decades to come. Additionally, the resulting research and extension information on lake management have enabled many stakeholders across Florida to establish sound lake management plans, which was one of Dan’s underlying goals.
As a past long-time volunteer, I would just like to say that we all owe Dr. Canfield a huge thank you for founding Florida LAKEWATCH. He made a great difference to us all.
-Virginia Densmore, LAKEWATCH volunteer, Lake Blue Heron
The LAKEWATCH program is a shining star of Florida limnology and citizen science in general, and an enduring legacy of his leadership and commitment.
-Evelyn Gaiser, Endowed George Barley Eminent Scholars Chair & Distinguished Professor, Florida International University
With his guidance, I adopted his approach to establish the Lee County Hyacinth Control District, Pond Watch Program. We were incredibly fortunate to have him as a mentor and teacher, helping us apply what we learned and pass it on to the next generation of lake and pond watchers. His dedication to volunteerism and water monitoring has left a lasting legacy. Thank you, Dan, for inspiring and teaching us all.
-Ernesto Lasso de la Vega, Lee County Hyacinth Control District, Pond Watch Program
While his research impact is well known, teaching and mentorship brought Dan the greatest professional joy. Over his career, he supervised over 45 graduate students, many of whom have been successful in areas of limnology/lake management, including with the LAKEWATCH program (i.e., regional coordinator Dan Willis, retired lab manager Christy Horsburgh, data manager Marina Schwartz, and many others) and the state agencies like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). During his time at UF he also taught approximately 20 undergraduate students every year in the Introduction to Freshwater Fisheries class, alongside his longtime colleague, Dr. Chuck Cichra. Both Drs. Canfield and Cichra mentored the new LAKEWATCH director, Dr. Lescord, in taking over this course and continuing the longstanding tradition of teaching within the LAKEWATCH program.
He was a talented scientist and extraordinary teacher that mentored me and many other biologists with FWC. He challenged his students and colleagues to think critically and to be innovative.
-Jason Dotson, Subsection Leader, Freshwater Fisheries Research, FWRI & FWC
Later in undergrad I had Dr. Cichra and Canfield in a fisheries course which was one of my favorites. Learning hands on experience with equipment and sampling techniques, important trophic and limnological concepts and again hearing fun stories from both.
-Mike Sipos, Florida Sea Grant Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Collier County
Dr. Canfield made a big impression on me when I took his course. His teaching style was different than what I was exposed to up to that point, and he inspired me by challenging the accepted norms, advocating for the data instead of the cause, and more importantly, by believing in me. Over the course of my professional career, I often sought his counsel on personal and professional issues, and he was always eager to listen and provide a perspective I usually hadn’t considered.
-Eric Nagid, Subsection Leader, Freshwater Fisheries Research, FWRI & FWC
Dan also loved teaching young kids, which he thought of as the “future of limnology.” In 1990, he started another program called Fishing for Success, which introduced kids to the basics of aquatic science through catching fish in ponds at UF. The program is still going strong and hosts around 7,000 children each year.
We did go up to LAKEWATCH in Gainesville to see how the samples were handled, and Dan was a great teacher. If I am remembering correctly, one time we went up to LAKEWATCH Dan had [a] bunch of young kids fishing around the pond.
-Sandra Andry, LAKEWATCH volunteer, Rodman Reservoir
Dan is survived by his two sons, Daniel and Mark Canfield, his brother, Tim Canfield, and his sister, Linda Blick, all of whom have our heartfelt condolences for this loss. We also acknowledge that many of our readers knew Dan well and considered him a friend as well as a colleague. We echo the sentiment that many of you shared over the past month: Dan will be greatly missed. Looking ahead, we are committed to continuing Dan’s legacy within the Florida LAKEWATCH program. We will specifically work to emulate his dedication to impactful research grounded in robust data, and his admirable passion for mentoring students in practical skills and core limnological principles.
His approach to parenting and teaching shared some wonderful similarities. He did everything he could to allow us to pursue our dreams while occasionally challenging us with skepticism to examine our futures critically. Below his gruff exterior was the most kind, loving man who wanted the best for his sons and us all. After almost losing him to a mystery illness in the 1990’s that left him disabled, he persevered, and I am lucky to have shared nearly three more decades with him. He was the best father I could have ever asked for. It warms my heart to know that so many of you experienced his love and mentorship I cherished so much.
-Daniel Canfield (Dan’s son)
I hope he’s resting somewhere with a lot of lakes and a lot of fish!
-Mary Stonecipher, retired LAKEWATCH lab manager and chemist
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