Bill Streever

Dr. Bill Streever started his working life as a commercial diver in harbors and oilfields in Maine, the Gulf of Mexico, and the South China Sea. Later, with a fellowship from the National Science Foundation, he compared natural wetlands and wetlands created on phosphate-mined lands, leading to a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. He then worked for the University of Newcastle in Australia, where he developed a broad research program linked to the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project. After returning to the United States, he conducted research throughout the country for the Waterways Experiment Station, a federal government laboratory.

One of his projects led him to Alaska, where he now runs an applied research program in the Alaskan North Slope oil fields. His volunteer services have included editing the scientific journal Wetlands Ecology and Management, participation on the Ramsar Convention's Science Advisory Committee, and advising the federal government on plans to restore coastal Louisiana.

He has authored or coauthored over 50 technical publications on topics ranging from plant competition to the evolution of cave organisms to environmental economics. His lives with his son, Ishmael Streever, his partner, Dr. Lisanne Aerts, and the resident dog, Lucky (who was adopted from Sakhalin, Russia) in Anchorage, Alaska. The four of them ski, hike, dive, bike, and camp as often as time and their varying abilities allow.