The University Research Council awarded the 2017 Cross-Disciplinary Team Research Award to four faculty members who work toward understanding climate change and its varied impacts on water quality.
Associate Professor of Geology Catherine O’Reilly, Professor of Sociology Joan Brehm, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Bill Perry, and Assistant Professor of Information Technology Rishi Saripalle received the award at the annual Founders Day Convocation for their work with the Lake Tanganyika Climate Change/Fisheries Management project.
Brehm and O’Reilly journeyed to Tanzania as part of a research and capacity building project supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The focus of the research is Lake Tanganyika, which supports a diverse and productive fish population. The lake is an important source of fish for the surrounding countries, and both climate change and fishing efforts may be affecting fish catches.
The team is working to understand climate change impacts on the lake, how this might affect fish populations, and fishermen’s local knowledge on how climate change affects their livelihoods and the lake.
