Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $139,222 through its Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to the University of Connecticut's Office Sponsored Programs, with an award date of February 1, 2026 and ultimate completion date of September 30, 2027. This collaborative research project investigates the impact of climate change on functional biodiversity across spatiotemporal scales at Lake Tanganyika, Africa, addressing critical gaps in understanding how warming temperatures threaten the ecosystem services and food security that this prolific inland fishery provides to four developing nations.

The project delivers research products through an integrated analytical framework combining geochemical, paleontological, and genomic tools to assess open water and bottom-dwelling aquatic community structures and functions under multiple climate change scenarios. Key research activities include conducting historical experiments using Lake Tanganyika's high-resolution sedimentary record to track functional biodiversity lake-wide, analyzing physical and physiological responses of economically valuable fish species to temperature and precipitation changes, and generating knowledge to equip fisheries and ecosystem managers with science-based safeguarding strategies. Additionally, the award supports international capacity-building through student training, workshop delivery, and development of public education materials, strengthening collaborative research partnerships in East Africa while advancing fundamental understanding of tropical lake ecosystem responses to environmental change.