Edward Asahel Birge

Edward Asahel Birge ( born September 7, 1851 in Troy, New York, † June 10, 1950 in Wisconsin ) was an American zoologist and one of the founding fathers of Limnology.

Birge graduated in 1873 from Williams College for BA and 1876 to MA, studied natural history at Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1878 At the University of Wisconsin, he became in 1879 professor of natural history and zoology. The chair he kept held until 1911. Under his leadership, his institute grew to four chairs. 1891 to 1918 he was dean of the College of Letters and Science his university, 1900-1903 Executive President and 1918-1925 President of the University of Wisconsin. In addition, he served from 1897 to 1915 as director of the geological and natural history research program of Wisconsin, was active in the commissions for nature conservation and forestry, and he was State Commissioner of Fisheries.

Together with Chancey Juday, he explores the Lake Mendota in Wisconsin and founds a research station, the Wisconsin School of Limnology. He discovered, among others the temperature stratification of the lakes. In 1911 he published a summary of his limnological research together with C. Juday. 1916 An important publication deals with " The work of the wind in warming a lake ," in which he lays the theoretical foundation for the energetic consideration of the stratification and circulation in lakes. However, his main area of ​​work was the study of invertebrate animals in the water.