[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 102 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E834-E835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. WALTER R. BOYNTON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2017

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career and 
contributions to Maryland's Fifth District of estuarine ecologist Dr. 
Walter R. Boynton of St. Leonard, Maryland, on the occasion of his 
retirement.
  A native of Massachusetts, Dr. Boynton first came to Maryland and 
encountered the majestic waters of the Chesapeake Bay, something which 
would become the focus of his scientific studies for the remainder of 
his career, in 1969 as a summer student at the Chesapeake Biological 
Laboratory (CBL) in Solomons, Maryland. Following the receipt of his 
Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Florida, Dr. Boynton returned 
to CBL in 1975 as a young professor. At that time his research focused 
on the decline of submerged aquatic vegetation. He recognized that 
these declines were related to increases in nutrients flowing into the 
Chesapeake that caused an over-abundance of single-celled algae, which 
reduced the clarity of the water and ultimately led to deeper portions 
of the Bay becoming devoid of oxygen. Dr. Boynton was part of a team of 
CBL researchers, including Chris D'Elia, Jim Sanderson, and Don Heinle, 
that redefined what we know about nutrient dynamics and how they bring 
about eutrophication--or the overabundance of plant life at the expense 
of animal life in bodies of water.
  A long-standing relationship, forged on the softball diamond, between 
CBL researchers and the local community led to a close working 
partnership and deep personal friendship between Dr. Boynton and then-
State Senator Bernie Fowler, who remains a close friend of mine. It was 
Senator Fowler who led efforts in federal court to force regional 
jurisdictions to adhere to the Clean Water Act. Former Senator Fowler 
credits Dr. Boynton with deepening his own understanding of the ecology 
of the Bay and the Patuxent River, allowing him to become an effective 
advocate and well-respected citizen-scientist, bringing attention to 
the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. On June 11, I joined former 
Senator Fowler for his annual ``wade-in'' to check the clarity of the 
Patuxent River and learned of Dr. Boynton's upcoming retirement.
  In addition to an internationally respected research career, Dr. 
Boynton has been a highly effective educator, teaching generations of

[[Page E835]]

graduate students. CBL Director Thomas Miller credits Dr. Boynton's 
success to his contagious enthusiasm for his work. He called him ``a 
gifted, passionate, and supportive educator'' and ``an amazing teacher 
and advisor.'' Director Miller further noted that his ``largest and 
most long lasting impact will be the generation of young minds that he 
has touched and impacted over his career.''
  Dr. Boynton is a two-time recipient of the Distinguished Service 
Award from the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation. He received its 
Odum Award for lifetime achievement (with UMCES colleague W. M. Kemp), 
and served as its President. In 2015, Dr. Boynton was named an Admiral 
of the Chesapeake for his work toward greater understanding of the 
Chesapeake Bay and its restoration by then-Governor Martin O'Malley. In 
the following year, he received the Mathias Medal from the Maryland Sea 
Grant College, the Virginia Sea Grant, and the Chesapeake Research 
Consortium-the highest regional recognition in environmental sciences. 
This year Dr. Boynton was awarded the Ruth Patrick Award from the 
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.
  Dr. Boynton's legacy spans areas beyond academia. He has worked 
closely with the Maryland/DC Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and 
served as a member of the Calvert County Planning and Zoning Committee 
for many years. He and his wife Mary-Ellen also host a shelter for 
Calvert County's homeless each spring.
  I join Dr. Boynton's colleagues at CBL and with members of the 
community in Maryland's Fifth District to congratulate him on his 
impactful and distinguished career. I thank him for his service to our 
state, to our country, and all those who live by and rely on the 
Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, and I wish him all the best in his 
retirement.

                          ____________________