P.V. Sundareshwar, Ph.D., associate professor in the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, has been awarded a Congreso Nacional Senado Medal by the Government of Chile. The medal serves as the highest civilian honor awarded by the nation.
Sundareshwar, who also serves as the state carbon scientist for South Dakota and director of the School of Mines' Biogeochemistry Core Facility, has been studying the invasive diatom Didymosphenia geminata in the Black Hills' Rapid Creek. The diatom is a free-living photosynthetic organism that attaches to solid objects in freshwater. It is often found in stable flow, pristine rivers and is considered a nuisance because of its extensive spread and effect on natural ecosystems.
The diatom, native to northern Europe and northern North America, has dramatically expanded its range in recent years to temperate rivers worldwide. It has invaded countries in the southern hemisphere, such as New Zealand and most recently, Chile.
Sundareshwar's research, funded by the National Science Foundation, has positioned him as an expert in the international community. When the diatom was discovered in Chile's Patagonian rivers, a huge threat was posed to both the natural ecosystem and the nation's economy, which has a significant base in tourism utilizing those natural resources. Sundareshwar's expertise was sought by the Chilean government to assist in mitigating the spread.
During a recent conference hosted and supported by the country's Ministries of the Economy and Fisheries, National Fishery Service, Ministry of Agriculture, and others, Sundareshwar collaborated with international scientists and managers to design and implement measures to prevent the diatom's spread. The team developed a better understanding of the ecology of the diatom, potential issues for its spread, and guidelines for setting up an effective monitoring and mitigation system. They established both short-term (control and sanitation measures and sampling and detection training) and long-term (diatom bloom factors; tools and timelines for early detection and rapid response; research; and control, management, and restoration) measures to accomplish this.
In recognition of his leadership role in the preservation of natural resources, Chile's Senate awarded Sundareshwar the Congressional Medal, presented by senior Senator Honorable Antonio Horvath Kiss. Sundareshwar will continue to collaborate with the Chilean government and international scientists and researchers to control the spread of the diatom and help protect the integrity of these vital ecosystems.
