Daily Workshop Schedule and Topics
Monday, November 17th
Morning: Welcome and Workshop Overview - Hank Bart and Paul Skelton
Fish Biodiversity Research Needs and Challenges in Africa – This opening session included presentations and a panel discussion by scientists from African countries on the status of fish biodiversity research in their respective countries, addressing the questions: What is working and where are improvements needed? What resources are available for fish biodiversity research (fish collections, research laboratories, libraries/literature)? Can fruitful partnerships be established with neighboring countries to leverage/ expand resources?
Presenters/Panelists: Rashid Tamatamah, Justin Mbimbi, Dorothy Nyingi, Philippe Laleye, Ernst Swartz
Please click on hyperlinked names above to view presentations.
Afternoon:
Field collecting in Africa – This session featured presentations and an open discussion of topics related to field collecting in Africa, including permitting, biodiversity hotspots, collection of genetic resources, and coordination of field efforts across projects/taxonomic study interests.
Presenters/Discussants: Frank Pezold (Biotic Survey and Inventory in Guinea), Rashid Tamatamah, Justin Mbimbi (Congo Project), John Friel (All Catfishes Species Inventory), Paul Skelton (SAIAB)
Please click on hyperlinked names above to view presentations.
Evening: Posters/Networking (refreshments provided), Eden Grove.
Tuesday, November 18th
Morning:
Establishing Biodiversity Research Resources in African Countries (fish collections, networks for accessing collection data in other countries) – Strategic collection building, repatriating specimens from European and North American museums, databasing and georeferencing collection data. Opportunities afforded by Central African Natural History Museum Initiative (http://canhmi.org/), the Royal Museum of Central Africa (RMCA), American Museum of Natural History.
Presenters/Panelists: Hank Bart, Nelson Rios, Frank Pezold, John Friel, Gavin Gous (SAIAB Biomaterial Bank)
Please click on hyperlinked names above to view presentations.
Please click here to view pictures
Afternoon:
Biodiversity Research Methods – Presentations on new computer and information tools for rapid data collection and analysis, research in a distributed (Internet) environment, morphological databases and ontology, and DNA bar coding closed out Day 2 of the workshop.
Presenters: Dorothy Nyingi (Species Discovery Methods), Paul Mabee (Morphological Image Databases and Ontologies), Brian Sidlauskas (Morphometric and Osteological study methods), Ernst Swartz and Monica Mwale (FISHBOL)
Please click on hyperlinked names above to view presentations.
Evening: Workshop Dinner/Social
Wednesday, November 19th
Morning:
Training African Fish Taxonomists – Panel discussion led by African ichthyologists and leaders of fish biodiversity projects on topics such as recruiting students, tapping indigenous knowledge systems, opportunities for scientific exchange, and collaboration with fish biodiversity projects.
Panelists: Frank Pezold, Rashid Tamatamah, Philippe Laleye, Paul Skelton
Please click on hyperlinked names above to view presentations
Afternoon:
Building Successful Biodiversity Research Networks – Examples of successful, ongoing fish biodiversity research projects and proposals for new collaborations involving African fishes.
Panelists: Frank Pezold (Guinea Biotic Survey and Inventory), Justin Mbimbi (Congo Project), John Friel (All Catfishes Species Inventory, Hank Bart (CToL), Brian Sidlauskas (Characiformes Tree of Life)
Please click on hyperlinked names above to view presentations
Evening: Dinner, sight-seeing in Grahamstown
Thursday, November 20th
Morning:
Funding Fish Biodiversity Research in Africa – Opportunities and experiences of workshop participants winning funding for biodiversity research projects. This was followed by open discussion of new research that can be proposed based on ideas discussed at the workshop.
Panelists: John Friel, Paul Skelton, Hank Bart
Please click on hyperlinked names above to view presentations.
Afternoon:
Special Presentation: Native fish conservation in Addo Elephant National Park - Olaf Weyl, Rhodes University
Click hyper-linked presenter name to view.
Late Afternoon - Tour of Rhodes/SAIAB
Friday, November 21st
Morning:
Depart Grahamstown for day-long excursion to Addo Elephant National Park (lunch provided)
