Vollenweider is one of the world's most renowned authorities on eutrophication, the process by which lakes mature and are gradually converted into swamps, bogs, and finally meadows. Eutrophication is a natural process that normally takes place over hundreds or even thousands of years, but human activities can accelerate the rate at which it occurs. The study of these human effects has been an important topic of environmental research since the 1960s. Richard A. Vollenweider was born in Zurich, Switzerland, on June 27, 1922. He received his diploma in biology from the University of Zurich in 1946 and his Ph.D. in biology from the same institution in 1951. After teaching at various schools in Lucerne for five years, in 1954 he was appointed a fellow in limnology (the study of lakes) at the Italian Hydrobiological Institute in Palanza, Italy. A year...