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Dr. Karin Limburg Receives Distinguished Career Award
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Nov. 3, 2023 - Dr. Karin Limburg, Distinguished Professor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), was honored with the Distinguished Career Award at the International Otolith Symposium in Viña del Mar, Chile.
“Dr. Limburg’s dedication and outstanding contributions to otolith research are a cornerstone in sustainable fisheries research,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “The Distinguished Career Award is a true testament to her unwavering commitment to fisheries science and the environment.”
Limburg attended the Seventh International Otolith Symposium in October. She has attended all seven symposia, which may not sound remarkable until you learn they meet only every four to five years.
“That way, the field has time between meetings to develop breakthroughs that really engage people,” said Limburg. She was presented with the award during the closing ceremony of the week-long congress.
With more than 170 delegates representing 38 nations, including eight countries in Latin America, the conference was filled with the latest research and applications. Although age and growth are still mainstay activities, researchers continue to push the boundaries of information that otoliths and other “chronometric structures” can yield, according to Limburg.
Limburg is best known for her work on “otolithology,” the study of bones in the inner ears of fish that hold a chemical record of that fish’s journey similar to the rings of a tree. She was a research assistant professor at Stockholm University in Sweden before joining ESF’s Department of Environmental Forestry and Biology in 1999. She has performed research on the giant catfishes of the Amazon and Mekong rivers, commercial (as well as Stone Age) cod stocks in the Baltic Sea, endangered species in the Grand Canyon, and several important fish species in the Hudson River. She has created a robust research program focused on the anadromous fishes of the eastern United States along with fish otolith microchemistry.
Limburg is an author of more than 130 peer-reviewed journal publications. Her scholarship is widely cited by colleagues with nearly 2,500 citations a year over the past five years. She has been the principal investigator for almost 50 grants worth millions of dollars. Her scholarship is recognized by the international scientific community, as indicated by the number of invited/keynote presentations she gives annually.
Limburg earned her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, her master’s degree from the University of Florida, and her Ph.D. from Cornell University. She is currently a visiting professor in the Department of Aquatic Resources at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden, and the Graduate Faculty, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.