Dr. Robert W. (Bob) Sterner
Limnologist

I am a liminologist. That means that I study inland waters such as streams, lakes, and ponds. Specifically, I've been fascinated for many years by the smallish creatures in lakes called zooplankton. Larger zooplankton are crstaceans, meaning they are relatives to such things as crayfish or shrimp, but they are only about a millimeter long.

I'm not sure why these particular organisms fascinate me so, but it probably has something to do with the fact that they are small enough to do work with large numbers, but they are large enough to be able to see. With a microscope you can see them really well.

I always wanted to be a biologist. My mom teels me she used to catch me reading my older sister's High School biology text book when I was about six or seven years old. I was lucky enough to have a family that tolerated the idea of doing something for a living so seemingly arcane as chasing little lake creatures around. I was also lucky enough to be encouraged at key times in my life by people who gave me a lot of tiem. My brother in law taught me birds, my undergraduate advisor taught me about plankton, and my Ph.D advisor taught me about ecology.

I'm in my 40's. I have two kids, one boy who is nine and one girl who is thirteen. Most every year I visit their class rooms with my microscopes and I talk to them and their class about plankton. I greatly enjoy those days, and I'm looking forward to a similar experience with Bell LIVE!

Learn about more Bell LIVE! host researchers:

• Mary Balcer, University of Wisconsin-Superior
• Doug Jensen, Exotic Species Expert
• Teresa Norberg King, Environmental Protection Agency
• Don Schreiner, Lake Superior Area Fisheries Advisor, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Nigel Wattrus, Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota