Linking people and ecosystem health with 21st century tools in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background

Freshwater ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots and crucial to the survival of people and wildlife. However, population growth, over exploitation and changing climate are a real threat to these key ecosystems, particularly in arid environments.

Effective management, monitoring and protection are crucial, but traditional methods are onerous, expensive and barely developed in less developed regions. New cost-effective methods are required urgently to support these fragile ecosystems and the services (e.g.fish) on which the wellbeing of local populations depend.

Recent reductions in the cost and capacity of DNA sequencing technologies, together with more effective methods of extracting DNA from environmental samples, offer an unprecedented opportunity to develop affordable biological monitoring. In freshwaters, environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches provide a unique opportunity of simultaneously capture risks to ecosystems and human health respectively from biodiversity loss and waterborne pathogens.

Project aims and methods

In the PhD we will build on a NERC funded project on freshwater eDNA to assess the applicability and potential value of eDNA approaches for freshwater monitoring of both biodiversity and pathogens in Namibia, where Cardiff University has long standing relationships and a 5 year Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Namibia. As one of the most arid nations on Earth, Namibia’s network of ephemeral freshwaters support distinctive species and ecosystems that are critical to wildlife, while also supporting water resource needs, yet there is no substantive monitoring or assessment.

Ecosystem scientists, molecular ecologists and eco-hydrologists from the Universities of Cardiff and Namibia will pool knowledge, and work together on a proof-of-concept for eDNA approaches in these ephemeral freshwaters. The work will contribute to a long term environmental research platform on water for people and ecosystems.

This work provides added value by building on significant NERC investments on the development of molecular tools for environmental sciences, both through funded research such as the DURESS and LOFRESH grants that were part of NERC’s strategic programmes, and also through infrastructure funding such as the Environmental ’Omics Synthesis Centre.

The project will explicitly aim to:
•validate an eDNA methodology that can be deployed in the field to monitor fresh water ecosystems in Namibia
•exploit eDNA approaches to characterize the unique ecology of the ephemeral rivers of Namibia
•deploy eDNA approaches to monitor water quality
•explore the utility of eDNA for the surveillance of potential pathogens present within water bodies

This project is a testimony to the strong links between health and poverty in Namibia. The success of the project initially focused on reducing poverty through health education, shows how better knowledge on environmental risks such as waterborne pathogens can transform livelihoods of whole communities. Frequent low-cost monitoring of waterborne pathogens provides the opportunity to better predict risks to local populations, but also to manage better contamination sources.

Candidate

This project would suit someone interested in freshwater ecosystems and environmental and Ecological Genomics.

Training

The candidate will develop skills in Environmental and Ecological Genomics including the use and exploitation of Ednal and develop a grounding in ecosystem and molecular ecological approach to river biodiversity. The candidate will also gain an understanding of the ecological challenges, social issues, water management techniques and demands placed on water within a sub-Saharan context represented by Namibia.