Outstanding Achievement Award

The purpose of the Outstanding Achievement Award is to recognize individuals for singular accomplishments and contributions to fisheries, aquatic sciences, and the Florida Chapter. The award aims to honor individuals for distinct contributions to the fisheries profession and enhancing the visibility of the Chapter.

Candidates will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Original techniques or research methodology
  • Original ideas, viewpoints, or data which contributed to fisheries management or our understanding of aquatic resources
  • Important ecological discoveries
  • An original fishery research or management program of statewide importance
  • Activities in public education and outreach that have statewide impacts

2024 Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient

Ted Lange

Throughout his 35-year career with the Game and Fish Commission and Fish and Wildlife Commission, Ted has been a leader in freshwater fish contaminant research in Florida ecosystems. He and his colleagues have studied the bioaccumulation of mercury in fishes from freshwater resources throughout FL, with research designed to understand the trophic relationships of mercury bioaccumulation, as well as the relationships between physical and chemical characteristics of freshwater waterbodies and mercury bioaccumulation. His findings have been recognized nationally through his participation at conferences, symposia, and workshops, and through publication of scientific articles.

Most notably however, Ted’s program and research outcomes have been used to support statewide mercury total maximum daily loads that are set by the FL Dept. of Environmental Protection to list and de-list impaired waterbodies pursuant to the US Clean Water Act., and to directly inform fish consumption advisories published by the FL Dept. of Health.

Ted has also been critical in quantifying stressors and promoting best management practices for bass in Florida. He has worked closely with tournament directors and anglers studying livewell conditions and tournament delayed mortality to promote bass survival. He has researched oxygen dynamics and the relation to vegetation coverage and biovolume in hopes to inform vegetation management for the benefit of both the bass and the anglers that target them.

A common thread throughout Ted’s career has been collaborative science with a multitude of diverse research partners. He understands how much can be accomplished by harnessing the energy, the knowledge, and the passion of others that are working together to achieve a common goal. He is highly respected by scientists, both by young professionals and those that are aged, across a diverse group of scientific disciplines that include fisheries scientists, ecologists, limnologist, and aquatic toxicologists.

How to Apply

Nominations for the Outstanding Achievement Award should be sent to Eric Nagid (eric.nagid@myfwc.com). Nominations should be limited to one page, but descriptive enough to convey why the individual is deserving of the award.

Current Application Deadline: March 2nd