Research
An Early Interest in Diatom Biology
Ruth Myrtle Patrick was born in 1907 in Kansas, United States. Coming from a family that valued education, her lawyer father instilled in her, from a very young age, a love for natural sciences during forest excursions. Her father’s passion for diatoms had a great influence on her love of nature and her future scientific career. Ruth received her first microscope at age 7. From then on, she became passionate about observing diatoms, which awakened her interest in science and scientific research.
In 1929, Ruth obtained a bachelor’s degree in botany from Coker College. On her father’s advice, she familiarized herself with biological sciences by doing summer internships in laboratories at Cold Spring Harbor and at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Ruth was passionate about science and wanted to pursue higher education. She therefore leveraged her professional network and deepened her knowledge of algae and more particularly diatoms. She joined the laboratory of Professor Ivy Lewis, an eminent researcher in the field of algae, and obtained a master’s degree in 1931 and a doctorate in botany in 1934 from the University of Virginia. Her work on the Dismal Swamp and the Great Salt Lake highlighted that diatoms can be valuable indicators of physical phenomena (soil erosion…) and environmental changes.
Diatoms: Biological Indicators for Assessing Freshwater Quality
In 1945, Dr. Ruth Patrick presented her latest research on the use of diatoms as indicators of environmental changes at the “American Association for the Advancement of Science”. Her presentation appealed to industrial companies and government agencies. She was contacted by Mr. WB Hart, head of waste disposal for the former Atlantic Metal Refining Company and president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce. In the early 1900s, scientific knowledge highlighted the harmful effects of pollution on human health. However, many waterways in the United States continued to “be polluted by waste and toxic chemicals. Mr. Hart raised funds to finance Ruth’s research to” study how industrial contaminants pose a threat to aquatic species.
In the 1900s, Ruth was a woman pursuing a career in a male-dominated sector, and it was rare for a woman to receive research funds to lead her work. Ruth knew that she might encounter difficulties and that her ability to lead effectively could be questioned. Therefore, in 1947, Ruth mobilized a multidisciplinary team of scientists to conduct extensive field research and study the effects of industrial pollution on the water quality of rivers in the Conestoga River watershed, in Lancaster County.
She develops the diatomometer to monitor diatoms and distinguish different sources of freshwater contamination. This device allows her to collect diatoms from rivers and examine their composition and diversity in the laboratory.
Ruth and her team’s research, published in 1949, highlights the crucial link between these microorganisms and the health of our aquatic ecosystems. By adopting a comprehensive approach, they show us how chemical analysis and the diversity of aquatic organisms can help us detect signs of pollution and protect our precious water sources. Their work paves the way for global collaboration between scientists, industries, and governments to preserve our waterways for future generations.
The Legacy of Dr. Ruth Patrick
From 1937 to 1945, Ruth Patrick made significant contributions to the activities of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (now the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University) as an unpaid assistant curator working on the diatom collection. In 1945, she became the paid chair of the limnology department (renamed the Patrick Center for Environmental Research). For 26 years, Ruth dedicated herself to expanding the diatom collection accumulated during numerous studies on rivers, lakes, and streams. She facilitated access to the collection by improving the archives and its use by researchers. The diatom collection, which began in the twentieth century, now contains more than 220,000 specimens.
Ruth is an eminent specialist in diatoms, and her work includes more than 200 articles. She is the first woman to have led major research in environmental sciences, bringing together bacteriologists, chemists, and specialists in animals and plants. Ruth advised several American presidents (Presidents Johnson and Reagan) and governors to improve water policies and address new challenges posed by pollution. She received numerous awards and honors, including election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1970, the American Philosophical Society in 1974, and the National Medal of Science presented by President Clinton in 1996.
Brilliant, dedicated, and endowed with an insatiable curiosity, Dr. Ruth Patrick passed away in September 2013 at the age of 105. She made us aware of the importance of biodiversity and water quality. Biodiversity and water are interdependent, and therefore, it is necessary to pay the utmost attention to preserving the biological indicators associated with water quality.
Written by Akila R. and edited by Tiffanie C.
Sources
Dr. Ruth Patrick Ruth Patrick Science Education Center https://www.usca.edu/rpsec/about/dr-ruth-patrick
Ruth Patrick Diatometer COMPUTING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/ruth-patrick
Pioneering Ecologist Dr. Ruth Patrick Dies https://ansp.org/about/press-room/releases/2013/ruth-patrick/
Ruth Patrick https://www.womeninexploration.org/timeline/ruth-patrick/Who’s Minding the Diatom Herbarium? https://www.anspblog.org/whos-minding-the-diatom-herbarium/
Ryan James Hearty; The Patrick Principle: Ruth M. Patrick, River Ecology and the Transformation of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1935-1975; Thesis submitted to Johns Hopkins University
Thomas L. Bott and Bernard W. Sweeney, Ruth Patrick 1907-2013 Biographical Memoirs
Potapova, M., Veselá, J., Smith, C., Minerovic, A., Aycock, L. (Editors) 2024. Diatom New Taxon File at the Academy of Natural Sciences (DNTF-ANS), Philadelphia. Retrieved on March 8, 2024, from http://dh.ansp.org/dntf
