International Workshop on International Workshop on Enhancing Freshwater Fish Enhancing Freshwater Fish Biodiversity Research in Biodiversity Research in AfricaAfrica 17-21 November 200817-21 November 2008Rhodes UniversityRhodes University South African Institute of Aquatic BiodiversitySouth African Institute of Aquatic BiodiversityGrahamstown, South AfricaGrahamstown, South Africa

PurposePurpose

Assess current state of freshwater fish Assess current state of freshwater fish biodiversity research in different parts of biodiversity research in different parts of Africa Africa (frontiers, challenges, knowledge (frontiers, challenges, knowledge gaps).gaps).

Needs for training fish biodiversity Needs for training fish biodiversity researchers.researchers.

Building biodiversity research resources Building biodiversity research resources (collections, computer and information (collections, computer and information resources).resources).

Building new research collaborations.Building new research collaborations. Increasing funding for biodiversity Increasing funding for biodiversity

research.research.

Participation (23)Participation (23)

Countries represented:Countries represented:– BéninBénin– Democratic Republic of CongoDemocratic Republic of Congo– KenyaKenya– NigeriaNigeria– South AfricaSouth Africa– TanzaniaTanzania– IndiaIndia– United StatesUnited States

AgendaAgenda

Day 1, Monday, November 17thDay 1, Monday, November 17th– Welcome and OverviewWelcome and Overview– Fish Biodiversity Research Needs and Fish Biodiversity Research Needs and

Challenges in Africa (presentations Challenges in Africa (presentations and panel discussion)and panel discussion)

– Field Collecting in Africa Field Collecting in Africa (presentations and panel discussion)(presentations and panel discussion)

– Poster and networking sessionPoster and networking session

Agenda Agenda cont’dcont’d

Day 2, Tuesday, November Day 2, Tuesday, November 18th18th– Expanding Biodiversity Research Expanding Biodiversity Research

Resources in African Countries Resources in African Countries (presentations and panel discussion)(presentations and panel discussion)

– Biodiversity Research Methods Biodiversity Research Methods (presentations and panel discussion)(presentations and panel discussion)

– Workshop Dinner/Social (Bella Workshop Dinner/Social (Bella Vista)Vista)

Agenda Agenda cont’dcont’d

Day 3, Wednesday, November Day 3, Wednesday, November 19th19th– Training African Fish Training African Fish

Taxonomists (panel discussion).Taxonomists (panel discussion).– Building Successful Biodiversity Building Successful Biodiversity

Research Networks Research Networks (presentations and panel (presentations and panel discussion).discussion).

– Sightseeing/Dinner (Maxwell’s) Sightseeing/Dinner (Maxwell’s)

Agenda Agenda cont’dcont’d

Day 4Day 4– Funding Fish Biodiversity Funding Fish Biodiversity

Research in Africa Research in Africa (presentations and panel (presentations and panel discussion)discussion)

– Native fish conservation in Addo Native fish conservation in Addo Elephant National ParkElephant National Park

– Tour of SAIABTour of SAIAB

Agenda Agenda cont’dcont’d

Day 5Day 5– Excursion to Addo Elephant Excursion to Addo Elephant

National ParkNational Park

Workshop OutcomesWorkshop Outcomes

Concrete ideas/actions for addressing Concrete ideas/actions for addressing all workshop goals and objectives:all workshop goals and objectives:– Plans to build biodiversity research Plans to build biodiversity research

capacity.capacity.– Plans for research collaborations.Plans for research collaborations.– Ideas for research proposals.Ideas for research proposals.– Plans for future workshops in other Plans for future workshops in other

countries.countries.– Agencies/organizations/foundations to Agencies/organizations/foundations to

request funding from.request funding from.

Detailed ProgramDetailed Program

Fish Biodiversity Fish Biodiversity Research Needs and Research Needs and Challenges in Africa Challenges in Africa Presenters/Panelists: Rashid Presenters/Panelists: Rashid

Tamatamah, Justin Mbimbi, Tamatamah, Justin Mbimbi, Dorothy Nyingi, Philippe Laleye, Dorothy Nyingi, Philippe Laleye, Ernst Swartz Ernst Swartz

Fish Biodiversity Fish Biodiversity Research Needs and Research Needs and Challenges in Africa Challenges in Africa Presentations and panel discussion by Presentations and panel discussion by

scientists from African countries will discuss scientists from African countries will discuss status of fish biodiversity research in their status of fish biodiversity research in their respective countries.respective countries.

What is working and where are What is working and where are improvements needed? improvements needed?

What resources are available for fish What resources are available for fish biodiversity research (fish collections, biodiversity research (fish collections, research laboratories, libraries/literature)? research laboratories, libraries/literature)?

Can fruitful partnerships be established with Can fruitful partnerships be established with neighboring countries to leverage/ expand neighboring countries to leverage/ expand resources?resources?

Field collecting in Field collecting in Africa Africa Topics to be discussed include Topics to be discussed include

permitting, biodiversity hotspots, field permitting, biodiversity hotspots, field collecting and archiving, and collecting and archiving, and coordination across projects/taxonomic coordination across projects/taxonomic study interests.study interests.

Presenters: Rashid Tamatamah, Justin Presenters: Rashid Tamatamah, Justin Mbimbi (Congo Project), John Friel (All Mbimbi (Congo Project), John Friel (All Catfishes Species Inventory), Paul Catfishes Species Inventory), Paul Skelton (SAIAB, presented in FBRNC Skelton (SAIAB, presented in FBRNC session) session)

Day 2

Establishing Biodiversity Research Resources in African Countries (fish collections, networks for accessing collection data in other countries)

Biodiversity Research Methods

Establishing Biodiversity Research Resources in African Countries Strategic collection building. Repatriating specimens from European and

North American museums. Opportunities afforded by Central African

Natural History Museum Initiative (http://canhmi.org/), Collections at the Royal Museum of Central Africa (RMCA), American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian.

Databasing and georeferencing collection data (Nelson Rios).

Gavin Gous (SAIAB Biomaterial Bank)

Biodiversity Research Methods New computer and information

tools for taxonomic data collection and analysis.

Research in a distributed (Internet) environment

Morphological databases and ontology

DNA bar coding

Presentations

Dorothy Nyingi (Species Discovery Methods)

Paula Mabee (Morphological Image Databases and Ontologies).

Brian Sidlauskas (Morphometric and Osteological study methods).

Ernst Swartz and Monica Mwale (FISHBOL)