The Value of Biodiversity in Cambodian Flood Plain Fisheries

Principal Investigator: Kathryn Fiorella

Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences
Sponsor: National Geographic Society
Grant Number: NGS-50693R-18
Title: The Value of Biodiversity in Cambodian Flood Plain Fisheries
Project Amount: $30,000
Project Period: January 2019 to December 2019

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 

Within Cambodia, inland fisheries provide a critical source of food and livelihoods, and habitat for more than 150 fish and aquatic animal species. Inland fisheries thus support both human health and native biodiversity. In partnership with WorldFish Cambodia, Cornell University researchers will assess the relationship between biodiversity and its benefits for local households using previously collected survey data. To extend and enhance these analyses, we will also a) conduct extensive field work pairing photo/video data collection by community members with interviews about their utilization of biodiversity and b) analyze nutritional composition of key fish species. We will engage closely with local community resource managers and policy-makers to share and discuss results. We will generate peer-reviewed manuscripts and engage Cambodian and Cornell students in this work.