Tom Jones Presenter at the International Conference on Zooplankton and Ichthyoplankton in the Benquelan Upwelling in Africa

SALISBURY, MD--Dr. Thomas Jones, dean of the Richard Henson School of Science and Technology at Salisbury State University, recently traveled to Namibia, Africa, as an invited presenter at the three-day workshop and International Conference on Zooplankton and Ichthyoplankton in the Benquelan Upwelling held in Swakopmund, Namibia.

T Namibia, located on the coast of southwestern Africa, was previously a protectorate of South Africa receiving its independence in 1990. The purpose of the conference was to bring together 25 scientists from around the world to aid Namibian fisheries scientists in developing a strategic plan for their coastal fisheries industry, a major economic asset of the southern African region. The coast of Namibia is one of the four locations in the world where there is a coastal upwelling which sustains a large concentration of fish species.

Jonesâ area of expertise is in microscopic algae (phytoplankton) and its role in the marine foodweb (zooplankton and ichthyoplankton feed on phytoplankton and breath the oxygen they produce). His presentation, "Diurnal Variation in Patterns of Carbon Fixation in Size Classes of Phytoplankton in the Chesapeake Bay Plume," was based on data that was collected by Jones during a National Science Foundation research project from 1985-1986 where Jones and other science colleagues from along the United States East Coast studied the water that leaves the Chesapeake Bay (bay plume). The work was conducted during four research cruises (one in each season of the year) lasting from 21 to 28 days each. Jones compared and contrasted his work on the Chesapeake Bay coastal bay plume and its effect on coastal fisheries to the effect a coastal ocean upwelling, such as that in Namibia has. Following the presentations by each scientist, two days of discussion followed by a written proposal on how to manage and monitor the Namibian coastal fisheries to be presented to the Namibian government was produced.

While in Namibia, Jones also met with University of Namibia dean of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and the chair of the Natural and Marine Sciences Department. The purpose of the meetings was to discuss possible future collaborations between UNAM and SSU. In the future, Salisbury State and UNAM may exchange students and faculty to study in each otherâs countries.