Most people look at a pond, a stream or a lake and see water. Andy Dzialowski sees his past, present and future.

Dzialowski, a postdoctoral research associate in the Kansas Biological Survey, a research unit of the University of Kansas, has always had a special relationship with the environment.

As a young boy living in Kalamazoo, Mich., Dzialowski spent time on Lake Michigan with his brother, Ed. They walked along the streams that fed into the lake, catching frogs and hanging out with friends.

“Amazingly, you can do that for a job,” Dzialowski says.

These days, he spends time researching “invasive species,” organisms that invade other organisms’ habitats in the ecosystem. Studying zooplankton — microscopic organisms that eat algae — might not seem very exciting, but Dzialowski, 32, enjoys knowing his research positively affects people.

“I’m not just like some old scientist in the back corner office, studying this organism that no one cares about,” he says.

Dzialowski is currently researching the water in Clinton Reservoir, the same water many Lawrence residents drink. The chemical released from dead algae in the water has caused the water to have a strange taste and odor in past months, he says. The chemical, known as geosmin, can be removed at the water plant using activated carbon but the process is a costly one, he says. That’s why he and his team are attempting to find ways to predict when large amounts of the chemical will appear, so that the carbon can be used more efficiently.

Although he’s wrapping up the current session of water sampling at Clinton Reservoir, Dzialowski hopes to receive more funding so he can continue his research.

“Even though he studies science in a pure form, he’s very interested in the applied aspects of his research,” says Dzialowski’s wife, Amy, who graduated with a degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas.

For example, Dzialowski’s research helps the Environmental Protection Agency set regulations on the nutrient content for lakes and streams. These criteria allow the quality of the water to be managed and restored more efficiently.

Dzialowski’s time on Lake Michigan led him to pursue his interests in college and he graduated from Michigan State University in 1996 with a degree in zoology, the biological study of animals.

His concern for the environment then brought him to the University of Kansas, where he received his master’s degree and doctorate in ecology. His doctoral research attempted to determine what factors exist in a habitat in which invasive species ­— such as zooplankton — thrive.

He now teaches a senior-level environmental studies course in the fall and spends his summers doing fieldwork, visiting lakes in Kansas and other states.

The summer projects are team efforts, usually consisting of two or three scientists who set out in a boat to collect water samples.

According to his peers, Dzialowski works well in such an environment.

“He’s somebody who not only has capabilities and gets things done, but he has a personality that people are comfortable with,” says Val Smith, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Smith, who served as Dzialowski’s primary mentor during his doctoral research, considers him one of the finest field scientists he’s ever worked with.

“He’s comfortable outdoors and has the right skills,” Smith says. “If you need to go sampling or go out for outdoor research, he’s definitely somebody you want in the boat.”

The young scientist isn’t all about work, though. In fact, he says he and his colleagues play basketball in a city league, and occasionally get together for barbecues and potlucks.

Amy Dzialowski says she sees her husband’s interest in his work on a daily basis. She says he will take a “scientific perspective” on every pond or puddle they pass while hiking or spending time outdoors.

But no matter where he is or what he’s doing, he’s conscious of Mother Nature.

Dzialowski says he and Amy recycle and try their best to limit their water use around the house. Amy says they try to be careful about which products they buy, making sure they are eco-friendly whenever possible.