The University of Dar es Salaam in collaboration with project partners hereby announce PhD and MSc partial scholarships offered under the research project “Building a resilient seaweed farming for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Tanzania”, funded by Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH). The project is jointly implemented by the Department of Botany-University of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative (Zasci) and Seaweed Farmers in Bagamoyo.
The project aims to facilitate the mitigation and adaptation to climate change impacts in Tanzania’s seaweed farming through promotion of use of disease-free/resistant seaweed propagules, application of climate smart farming practices, as well as modeling present and future suitable habitats and niches for seaweed species and seaweed diseases occurrence in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Field research will take place in four seaweed farming hotspots i.e. Bagamoyo, Mafia, Unguja and Pemba.
The objectives of this project are:
- To evaluate past and present actions, activities and practices utilized by local communities to get trends and changes in seaweed farming.
- To assess major diseases and pests (epiphytes and macro-biofoulers) and their infestation, seasonal occurrence and severity levels in cultivated seaweed species.
- To pilot climate resilient farming practices to control diseases and pests in seaweed farming.
- To develop a protocol and facilitate availability of tissue culture produced disease-free seaweeds planting materials.
- To model the effects of temperature, rainfall and sea level rise on habitat suitability and distribution of most important seaweeds and diseases.
The research is expected to generate information relevant for policy improvements and climate change mitigation and adaption practices. Peer-reviewed articles and other scientific outlets to inform decision making are expected from the projects.