Leon Carl was born in Detroit, MI at Henry Ford Hospital. He spent his youth in Northwest Detroit and transitioned from his Detroit childhood to university studies in Ann Arbor. He attended the University of Michigan for both his undergraduate and graduate education at Rackham School of Graduate Studies. He earned his BSc in Fisheries Biology and his MSc in Fisheries Management. His Master’s research focused on the perspective of anglers during the fish reclamation on the Huron River in 1974. He quickly shifted to doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, conducting research on the natural reproduction of Chinook Salmon in the Great Lakes, and earned his PhD in Natural Resources Management.
Leon transitioned from his Michigan-based education, into a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postdoc position at the Pacific Biological Center, looking at the genomics of Chinook Salmon in their historical range around the Nanaimo River (British Columbia). From his Postdoc, he went to work as the Salmonid Management Coordinator for the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, Fisheries Branch in Edmonton, Alberta for four years. He moved from Alberta to Maple, Ontario, when he began working for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). He would be with the OMNR in two different roles over sixteen years. In that time, Leon also served as the Director of the Watershed Science Center for four years at Trent University, looking at urban watershed management.
In 2003, Leon was made the Director at the Great Lakes Science Center of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). After five years as Center Director, Leon was made a Regional Director for the USGS in 2008, overseeing major research initiatives for nineteen research centers throughout twelve states in the Midwest. With responsibility for determining the needed scientific perspectives, Leon also had to coordinate with Congress on appropriations and gave legislative testimony on numerous occasions.
In this time, Leon was a part of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, which seeks to address the Asian Carp threat to the Great Lakes through sustainable control strategies. Through his work, Leon coordinated with groups attempting to install barriers by helping track the fish’ range, up to or beyond the barriers. He was involved with the experimentation with different deterrent concepts, and he was a strong voice drawing attention to the severity of the issues, attempting to obtain funds to tackle the threat.
Leon retired in 2018, yet his efforts continue beyond that year, as he has continued to be actively involved with many organizations and governing bodies related to the Great Lakes. In 2020 he took on a US Congressional request to the USGS to write a report on science needs in the Great Lakes and delivered the report in 2021. He is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Guelph through the Center for Ecosystem Management where he is offering advice on ecosystem science in the Great Lakes. He continues to stay informed and up to date on his professional field, to the point the use of ‘retirement’ is a bit iffy. And, this is all in addition to his role as a member of the GLOS Board of Directors, which he took on in 2018. With a wealth of experience in many different roles and many variations of expertise in research and management, he is an incredible source of Great Lakes knowledge in history, biology, and governance, with 30 journal papers to his credit.
Leon has swum in all five of the Great Lakes. He has precious childhood memories of cleaning Alewife off of the shore of his family cottage near Tawas Point, Michigan. There, they would fry perch bought from commercial fishers in Tawas Bay. He still gets up to that area about once every year. Now, Leon lives in Guelph, Ontario. He relocated to Canada for both his (post-retirement) work and family, with his grandchildren having an especially strong pull. His years of experience and subsequent successes are indescribably impressive. GLOS is glad that he continues to share his invaluable insights with us as a member of the board.