SEGERS Hendrik (RBINS)
Towards an integrated zooplankton taxonomic resources facility in Viet Nam (2009-2010)
Promoted by: Dr Hendrik SEGERS (RBINS)
Local partner: Centre for Coastal Management and Development Studies (CMD) of Hue University of Sciences, Vietnam.
Identified taxonomic impediment: advise in support of the development of local taxonomic expertise regarding the zooplankton groups; technical support to develop reference collections on these zooplankton groups. The present project focuses on Rotifera as key zooplankton taxon.
Objectives: The project aims to initiate and support the construction of an Integrated Plankton Taxonomic Resources Facility at the Centre for Coastal Management and Development Studies of the University of Hue, Viet Nam. It will do so by supplying taxonomic training to future staff of the facility and to interested Vietnamese students and staff, at the same time raising institutional capacity and improving the effectiveness of teaching of taxonomy. This will be done through a two-tier approach, by providing individual, high-level, specialist training to a selected Vietnamese student in Belgium, and by offering introductory and general taxonomic training to a group of participants in Viet Nam. The present proposal focuses on Rotifera, a key taxon in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, but a broader taxonomic coverage including all major zooplankton taxa is envisaged for the future. The present approach will be evaluated and if necessary optimized for application in future projects in support of the Integrated Plankton Taxonomic Resources Facility.
The project will contribute to an improved science-based management of aquatic ecosystems, and of the goods and services these supply to local communities, by addressing the taxonomic impediment to the application of zooplankton in fundamental and applied studies in Viet Nam.
Poverty reduction components: In Central Viet Nam, and especially in the region around Hue city, local communities rely heavily on goods and services generated by freshwater and estuarine ecosystems of Perfume River and associated aquatic habitats. Especially tourism, aquaculture and fisheries critically depend on aquatic resources and biodiversity, and the Centre for Coastal Management and Development Studies has a demonstrated track record of successful engagements in optimizing the sustainable use of these ecosystem services, especially in supporting local rural communities to manage these resources and in resolving potential conflicts between different communities. The capacity of the Centre to formulate relevant science-based policy recommendations is presently limited by the lack of understanding of the functioning of the aquatic ecosystems, a consequence of a taxonomic impediment regarding zooplankton. The present project and, in the long term, of the Integrated Plankton Taxonomic Resources Facility will contribute significantly to fill this hiatus.
Scientific capacity building: Results obtained by the local scientists in the framework of this project have been disseminated through a workshop that was organized at the end of the project. Several scientific papers are also in preparation. All scientific data collected during the project have been stored in such a way that they remain accessible to all participants of the project (CD-ROM).
The project will contribute to the build-up of the integrated plankton taxonomic resources facility by focusing on dual short-term objectives:
- A first, proximal objective is to improve individual capacity by training selected students in the taxonomy and curation of zooplankton.
- The second, more inclusive objective, which is the subject of the present application, is to address the institutional taxonomic capacity of the CMS and the effectiveness of taxonomy teaching at the University of Hue.
A selection of pictures taken during the training: sampling on the field, microscope identification of samples at the laboratory and group pictures of the trainer and the participants.
