USGS hydrologist Dr. Kim H. Haag received the Distinguished Service Award of the North American Benthological Society during the opening ceremonies at the Society’s annual meeting on June 3, 2007, in Columbia, S.C. This award recognizes a member who has made a genuine and lasting contribution to the betterment of the Society.

During the past 15 years, Haag has served as chair of three important Society committees: the Local Arrangements Committee for the 1992 annual meeting in Louisville, Ky.; the NABS Endowment Long-range Planning Committee in 1994; and the Board of Trustees for the NABS Endowments from 1995 to 1997. Elected society treasurer in 1997, she was re-elected twice to serve in that position for a total of nine years. Her tenure as treasurer was described as “exceptional” by all the Society’s presidents who have worked with her.  She is currently an active member of the finance, endowment, and conservation committees.

Haag has worked for USGS for more than 15 years and currently manages freshwater wetlands projects in central Florida. She is one of a number of USGS employees from across the nation who are active NABS members. Results of USGS scientific investigations are frequently presented at the annual meetings and published in the "Journal of the North American Benthological Society."

NABS is an international scientific organization whose purpose is to promote better understanding of the biotic communities of lake, stream and wetland bottoms and their role in aquatic ecosystems. Disseminating new investigation results, new interpretations, and other benthological information to aquatic biologists and to the scientific community at large is key to their mission. For more information on NABS visit their Web site www.benthos.org. To learn about Kim Haag’s recent work visit http://fisc.er.usgs.gov/haag/haag.html.