NUTSUAKOR Mac Elikem, Ghana

Support via: 2006 ext call; 2008 ext call

Abstract (as taken from original proposal)

Although the Bia Conservation Area has been known for its famous supply of snails to the people in the area who are predominantly cocoa farmers which supplements their protein needs as well as their family income, there is however absolutely no documentation on the snail diversity, distribution, abundance as well as productivity. This research seeks to document photographically malacofaunal species as well as threat to their population through combination of standardized time direct search and litter sieving method. Information from this research will prove vital for the formulation of malacofaunal conservation priorities, ensuring the sustainable exploitation of this important biodiversity as well serve as baseline information for other malacofaunal studies in the area. I will further be interested in examining physical and photographic collections of snails from all over Africa. I will have that unique opportunity of getting first hand information from these sources. I will also want to review relevant taxonomic literature, collaborate with Belgian experts as well as building my capacity in collection, curation, taxonomy as well as good practices in taxonomy and curation.

Training location: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels.

Gained personal capacity: 

The training provided me with the introduction to mollusca taxonomy and also offered me the opportunity to establish contact with experts for example, Dr. A. J. (Ton) de Winter of Naturalis, The Netherlands whom I have been working with on the project towards a production of photographic field identification guide. As part of this project I recently won a Martin-fellowship from Naturalis where I spent three month working with Ton and using advance equipments. These would not have been possible if not for initial training from Belgian GTI.

Read Mr Nutsuakor short GTI report.