Collaborative Research: IRES Sites: Freshwater biodiversity research opportunities for students in the imperiled lakes and streams of western Kenya

Tulane University, New Orleans LA

Investigators

Abstract

This IRES project will provide scientific and cultural research opportunities for 18 undergraduate students, including those from traditionally underrepresented groups, from several US institutions. These students will collaborate with Kenyan researchers and undergraduate students to investigate the freshwater ecosystems of western Kenya. Prior to the research trip students will receive training in biodiversity research methods and the language and culture of Kenya to prepare them for the experience abroad. In Kenya, participants will collect fishes, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and conduct water quality analyses; to better understand the dynamics that shape these biological communities and how contemporary changes to the environment are affecting critical freshwater aquatic habitats. Additionally, using cutting-edge molecular techniques, students will have the opportunity to participate in the discovery and formal description of a vast array of unknown species in the area. Freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world and the skills and experiences students will gain during this project will prepare them to contribute to freshwater ecosystem conservation efforts globally. Upon returning from Kenya, students will engage in individual projects and disseminate their results via social media, conferences, and peer-reviewed publications. By providing these students this unique international research experience, this project will train and prepare the next generation of U.S. scientists to engage with and lead the global scientific community in addressing the ongoing biodiversity crisis. Freshwater biodiversity in arid East Africa is beset with many ongoing threats; providing an uncertain future for freshwater ecosystems and people that rely on these resources for survival. This collaborative project will provide 18 undergraduate students a year-long opportunity to engage in research on the unique and imperiled biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems of western Kenya, including six weeks of field work in Kenya. In addition to initiating the training of a new generation of U.S. biodiversity researchers, the project will build the capacity of Kenyans to engage in biodiversity research. Fishes and aquatic macroinvertebrates perform many crucial ecosystem roles in freshwater environments, and are thus ideal targets of study for monitoring ecosystem health. Striking little baseline data on the freshwater biodiversity of western Kenya is available. Using Next-Generation Sequencing techniques (metabarcoding), traditional molecular and morphological approaches, and ecological studies, students will research aquatic biodiversity in the region; understand the biogeographical processes that promoted this diversity; and determine how these environments are responding to ongoing anthropogenic pressures. With exploitation of water resources in Kenya on the rise due to extraction and hydropower projects, the results of this project will be critical for identifying biodiversity hotspots and preventing further loss of biodiversity in the region. The project will recruit traditionally underrepresented students at home institutions and through ongoing collaborations with minority-serving institutions in the community. Research projects in the lab and field will provide a foundation for students to address the looming biodiversity crisis in future endeavors. Student participants will gain valuable insights on the culture and environments of western Kenya by learning from Kenyan mentors and interacting with Kenyan undergraduate students. Students will be provided with opportunities and encouraged to share their experiences and research findings through public outreach and presentations at national and international meetings. We will also build upon prior successes developing the research capacity of host institutions, providing training opportunities to local students and researchers, improving the natural history collections for the region, and developing guides for the region's biodiversity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.