The Nyanza Project
A Research Course in Tropical Lakes
For Undergraduate Students, Graduate
Students, and Secondary School Teachers
The
Nyanza Project is a research training program in tropical lake studies,
open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and secondary school
teachers. The program's goal is to provide an opportunity for participants
interested in various aspects of aquatic sciences (paleoclimatology,
limnogeology, biology, and limnology) 1) to learn what is involved
in doing field research on large lakes through active participation
and 2) to stimulate graduate study and career interest among students
in these fields.
As a member of the Nyanza Project you will have an
opportunity to be involved in an exciting research
project on one of the world's oldest and deepest lakes,
Lake Tanganyika, in central Africa! You will have an opportunity to
study and work with scientists who are investigating
various aspects of this fascinating lake and doing research on topics
ranging from the paleoclimatic history of tropical lakes and the formation
of rift valley lakes, to the evolution of numerous species found
only in Lake Tanganyika, to the impact that humans have had on the
lake's modern ecosystem.
The Nyanza Project is run by the Department
of Geosciences at the University of Arizona for the International Decade
of East African Lakes, a consortium of research scientists interested
in promoting research and training activities connected with the African
Great Lakes. The program is financed by the US National Science Foundation
(Paleoclimate Program/Division of Atmospheric Sciences; Division of
Biological Infrastructure, with support from the Office of International
Sciences and Engineering),
and by grants and contracts from the World Wildlife Fund. The Nyanza
Project has been funded to run each summer from 2003 to 2007.
The goal of the Nyanza project
is to provide a world class training opportunity for:
- undergraduate
and graduate students from the US andTanzania
- teachers
from the US, and
- early career professionals from Tanzania.
Through
this program you will learn about the dynamics of tropical lake biology,
limnology, geology, and major unresolved controversies in these
fields by being a participant in important, ongoing research projects.
Students participating in the Nyanza Project will have all of their
expenses paid by the program (airfare, room and board, lab supplies),
and they will receive a stipend for their field work.
Lake Tanganyika: Exciting Research Opportunities
Lake
Tanganyika is the largest (~34,000km2) and oldest (about 10 million
years old) of the East African Rift Valley lakes. It is also the second
deepest lake on the planet (1470m at its deepest point). The lake basin
formed as a consequence of the rifting of the African plate. Many scientists
have worked in recent years using Lake Tanganyika as a model for understanding
a variety of geological processes that shape lakes and their history.
The lake's tectonics, sedimentary geology, and paleoecology are all
subjects under active research. The lake's location, long history,
and extensive sedimentary deposits (up to 5km thick in some places)
have the potential to provide us with a record of African climate and
environmental change extending back through the entire episode of human
evolution.
Lake Tanganyika
offers an outstanding location for obtaining detailed paleoclimate
records of the tropics and for understanding the long-term relationships
between climate and tropical lake processes. Its location, hydrologic,
and depositional setting make its lake deposits sensitive recorders
of annual- to millenial-scale climate events. Over the course of its
long and complex geological history, it has been a "hot
spot" of evolution, with perhaps 600 species of invertebrates
and vertebrates that have evolved in and are restricted to the lake.
Cichlid fish, various crustaceans, and gastropods make up the bulk
of these endemic species. Today the lake houses incredible species
diversity, particularly along its rocky, steep coastlines where literally
hundreds of species of fish and invertebrates may be found at a single
locality. Over 1,500 species of animals and plants have been described
from the lake, making it one of the biologically richest lakes on earth,
and new species are being described each year.
Superb visibility in
these near shore rocky habitats (often over 20m) has allowed researchers
to conduct extensive studies on the behavior and ecology of its fish
fauna. Multicellular organisms are restricted to the upper 100-200
meters of the lake however, because the deep parts of the lake are
devoid of oxygen. Below Lake Tanganyika's oxygen-rich surface layer
lies a zone of nutrient-rich water. This water mass is periodically
mixed by upwelling and turbulence during the windy season into the
surface layer, generating very high algal productivity, which in
turn supports large zooplankton and fish populations. Although the
number of fish species in the open water, pelagic zone of the lake
is small in comparison to the coastal rocky habitats, these species
are periodically very abundant and form the basis of a very important
fishery for the region. Considerable effort by various researchers
has gone into understanding the various linkages between climate,
the upwelling process, productivity, and the abundance of commercially
important fish species.
In recent years Lake Tanganyika, like many other
large lakes of the world, has begun to feel the effects of a variety
of human impacts, including fishing pressures, an increased rate
of sediment accumulation along rocky coasts caused by deforestation
and soil erosion in the lake's watersheds, and climate change. A major
focus of current research on the lake (and an area of particular
interest to several of the Nyanza Project faculty) is understanding
the nature of these impacts and their severity. As a member of the
Nyanza Project team, you will have the opportunity to get involved
in some very exciting and important research projects. Literally hundreds
of scientific papers have been published about this lake, many of these
by the program faculty. We recommend the book Lake
Tanganyika And Its Life by George Coulter (1991, Oxford Univ. Press) or the CD-ROM
Biodiversity: The Great Lakes of Africa by A. Cohen and P. Reinthal
(available through the Nyanza Project office) as a good starting
point for understanding the natural history of this fascinating lake.
Who Can Apply
The
Nyanza Project is a research training program for undergraduate students,
graduate students, and secondary school teachers.
Undergraduate student applicants must be attending
an accredited US college or university. At the time of application,
students must have either junior or senior status (i.e. students must
have completed their sophomore year (but not graduated) by the start
of the spring semester or quarter preceeding the summer field program.
Approximately fourteen undergraduate applicants from US institutions
will be admitted to the program. Admission criteria includes grades,
prior research or other relevant experience, letters of recommendation,
and a personal statement indicating your reasons for applying. Students
may be of any nationality. Students who are members of under-represented
minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Graduate
students and secondary school teachers may be at any stage in their
program or career, and they and must submit the same application
materials as undergraduate students. Preference will be given to graduate
students who have demonstrated a research interest in tropical
lake systems.
Location and Facilities
The Nyanza Project is based in Kigoma, Tanzania, a small port and
market town (population
80,000) located on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Kigoma
is accessible by air from the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam,
as well as by road, rail, and ferry. Kigoma has one of the
finest harbors on the lake, with easy car and boat access to many excellent
field research sites. Directly north of town, the towering mountains
of the East African rift drop off into one of the deepest parts of
the lake, which is more than 1200 meters deep just offshore! Thirteen
kilometers north of Kigoma is the Gombe Stream National Park, world
famous from the research work conducted there by Dr. Jane Goodall on
chimpanzees. Our base of operations is the Tanzania Fisheries Research
Institute's
(TAFIRI) Kigoma field station, located right on the lakeshore. The
Nyanza Project has a wide range of field sampling gear and laboratory
analytical equipment for your use in research projects. We also have
full access to the R/V Echo, a 12m research vessel owned and operated
by the Lake Tanganyika Biodiversity Project, and the M/V Maman Benita,
a 40m commercial vessel that can be used for coring, geophysical, and
limnological studies, as well as several small inflatable boats and
skiffs. While in Kigoma you will stay at the Lake Tanganyika Beach
Hotel, a basic, but clean hotel located just a few minutes walk from
the lab. Meals will also be at the Lake Tanganyika Beach Hotel.
Program Schedule: Prior to Departure
Application due date: Dec. 20th, 2006 (On-line ONLY)
Notification of acceptance/denial to program: Jan. 15th, 2007
Final deadline for students to accept/decline offers: January 31st,
2007
Once you are admitted to the program, we will be sending you a complete
information packet with instructions on suggested readings, what to
bring, visas, health information, detailed travel information, etc.
We encourage you to contact the Nyanza Project Administrator or
the individual instructors to start thinking about potential
research projects and relevant background reading.
Program Schedule: After Departure and During the Program
The
actual training period of the Nyanza Project will run from June 25
to August 13, 2007. You will leave the US and meet with the rest of
the US team in Europe on/about June 25-26 (precise flight information
will be given to project participants later), and the team will then
travel on to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. You will either fly or take the
train to Kigoma on June 30.
The program
is broken into two segments. During the first week and a half, you
will be involved in intensive field and lab studies to bring you up-to-speed
on tropical lake studies in general and the Lake Tanganyika system
in particular. During the second four and a half weeks, you
will work on your research project, either individually, or as a part
of a small team. Each student will work closely with one of the faculty
mentors on the development and data collection for their research project.
During the final two days of the program, students will present their
research results to the class in a mini-symposium.
Normally, the work
week for the Nyanza Project will be six days, with Sundays being
free days. In addition to day-time lab, field, and computer work, there
will be regular evening lectures and discussion groups. Generally,
lab and field work will be done in the morning (when the lake is calmest),
and lectures, computer work, and discussion sessions will be held in
the afternoons. Lectures, lab,s and analytical exercises will be tied
together throughout the first three weeks of training.
NOTE: The Ability to swim is Critical to several Nyanza
Project field exercises. If you cannot swim, you should plan to
take lessons to learn following your acceptance and prior to departure
for Africa.
June 27-28, Orientation Activities
Dar es Salaam, prior to
the train departure for Kigoma.
July 2, The Kigoma Area and the
Project
Day-1: Introduction to the Lake Tanganyika environment and
philosophy of research.
July 3 - 6 (Morning), Paleoclimatology and Limnogeology
Formation/Geology
of tropical lakes, concentrating on the rift valley lakes
Climatology and Paleoclimates of East Africa
Lake Tanganyika Basin Stratigraphy and Depositional Processes
Field Trips to Lake Tanganyika Rift Escarpments (Precambrian outcrops vs.
Upper Miocene to Present Lake Deposits)
Present-Day and Paleo-Environments in tropical rift lakes (Paleoclimate variations
and impact on Lake Tanganyika Level Fluctuations)
Offshore Field Trip (Seismic data and sediments sampling in a complex structural
and depositional setting) Control of the climatic variations
and a complex active tectonic setting on the lake basin stratigraphy
July 6 - 7 (Afternoon), Introduction to Tropical
Limnology
Chemical
limnology of tropical lakes
Primary production in tropical lakes
Weather and climate forcing of tropical lake processes, annual cycles and
interannual change
Interpretation of limnological data collected during the week
Research project titles due
July 9 - 11, Evolutionary Biology
Evolution in tropical lakes
Aquatic ecology, resource partitioning, physiological responses, conservation
issues
Project descriptions due
From
July 12, Research Projects Start
Work exclusively on independent study research projects (fieldwork,
lab analysis, data interpretation)
Final written reports (extended abstracts plus data, figures, and tables)
Cleanup and packup activities (depending on departure schedules, cleanup activities
will be scheduled in the field)
Presentation of research results in a student symposium
August 9, Train Departure from Kigoma
to Dar es Salaam (Arrival
August 11)
August 12, Earliest Departure from Tanzania
August
13, Arrival in the
US
Followup
It is our hope that students will continue with the research they
start in the field when they return to their home institutions. Students
may be able to bring samples back to the US for further analysis
when required. The faculty mentors of the Nyanza Project will be available
to help students develop their projects into honors theses or independent
study projects via regular mail, E-mail, or telephone. Students who
anticipate bringing samples back to the US must notify
Dr. Cohen as soon as possible after acceptance to insure proper paperwork
is completed for sample export. All follow up research wok conducted
by Nyanza Project students and subsequent publications must be done
in collaboration with the Nyanza Project mentor. Detailed instructions
on publication rights and responsibilities will be given to students
upon admission to the program.
Academic Credit
It is possible for students to receive academic credit through the
University of Arizona for the Nyanza Project. However, students wishing
to do this will need to enroll in the University for the summer session
(UA tuition and fees will not be covered by the project). If you are
interested in obtaining academic credit, please indicate so in the
space provided on the application form, and we will provide you with
the necessary additional information on enrollment and fees. It may
also be possible for you to receive independent study credit through
your home institution for the Nyanza Project, and we will be happy
to accommodate those students requiring documentation to do so.
Instructors
All of the Nyanza Project faculty have extensive field experience
at Lake Tanganyika and elsewhere on tropical lakes. Their complementary
fields of expertise will allow students from a wide range of backgrounds
and interests to take advantage of this program.
Andrew Cohen
|
Nyanza Project Director, and
Paleoecology
Mentor
Current position: Joint Professor
of Geosciences, and Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
Research interests: Paleoecology and
ecology of benthic invertebrates in lakes; evolutionary ecology
and geological history of large lakes, particularly Lake
Tanganyika; conservation biology of rift lakes
Education: PhD from University of California-Davis
|
Ellinor Michel
Tel: +44-207-942-5516
E-mail: ellm@nhm.ac.uk |
Nyanza Project Assistant Director/Field Acting Director,
and
Evolutionary Biology Mentor
Current
position: Research Scientist, Natural History Museum (UK) and
Research Associate, University of Arizona
Research interests: Evolutionary biology
of freshwater molluscs; speciation mechanisms in ancient
lakes, particularly Lakes Tanganyika and Baikal; phylogenetics
of gastropods, using morphology, anatomy, and molecular techniques
Education: PhD from the University of Arizona
|
Kiram Lezzar
|
Nyanza Project
Administrator/Coordinator, and
Limnogeology Mentor
Current
position: Senior Research Associate & Adjunct Faculty
(Geology Lecturer), Dpt. of Geosciences, University of Arizona.
Research
interests: Lake basins sedimentological/stratigraphic
and structural analysis, principally using subsurface and deep
drilling sediment cores, in correlation with reflection seismic
data.
Education: PhD from the University of West Brittany,
France
|
Hudson Nkotagu
|
Nyanza
Local Coordinator, and Hydrogeology Mentor
Current position: Professor of Geology, Department
of Geology, University of Dar es Salaam,
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Education: PhD in Geology (Germany)
|
Catherine O'Reilly
Phone: 845-758-7104
E-mail: oreilly@bard.edu |
Limnology
Mentor
Current position: Assistant Professor, Bard College
Research
interests: Functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Particularly
with respect to the affect of landscape change on stream
ecosystems, nutrient stoichiometry in pelagic food webs,
nutrient recycling in the pelagic zone, and cross-ecosystem
linkages.
Education: PhD from the University
of Arizona
|
Jonathan Todd
|
Paleoclimatetology
Mentor
Current position: The Natural History Museum, London,
UK
Research interests:
Education:
|
Ismael Kimirei
|
Fisheries Mentor
Current postion: TAFIRI Senior personel,
Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI),
Kigoma, Tanzania
Education: PhD Candidate (Netherlands) |
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