Grad student makes her mark, in Africa and Washington, D.C.

By RUDI HEMPE
CELS News Editor & Reporter

Catherine McNally is still a ways away from getting her PhD but already she has contributed some valuable research that will have long-term significance in the quality of life in a vast section of Tanzania.

Her work in that African country has not gone unnoticed as on Feb. 27 she was awarded the Walter B. Jones Memorial Award for Excellence in Coastal and Marine Graduate Study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The award is extended once every two years and she is one of four winners nationally in the coastal and marine graduate study category.

McNally, a grad student in Natural Resources Science under Dr. Art Gold is also an IGERT Fellow (for Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program). Gold says he does not know who nominated her for the coveted award but it is obvious that people in NOAA and perhaps on Capitol Hill have noticed her work.

McNally has made three trips to Tanzania and much of her work there involved the environmental flow, diversity and ecosystems surrounding the Wami River which runs from deep inside the country to the Indian Ocean coast.

During her three visits she worked with a variety of scientists who looked at all aspects of the river which provides a host of benefits to a 40,000-square kilometer area—everything from drinking water to a shrimp fishery.

McNally had plenty of experience in coastal and water issues before going to Africa.

She received her bachelor’s degree in biology with concentrations on marine science and ecology from Cornell. While at Cornell she took part in a diesel oil spill assessment project in New York State and a shrimp net study in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.), the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator is on the left, and Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr., a United States House of Representative from North Carolina is on the right.

In succession, she worked as an environmental scientist for a Florida consulting firm and then with a water management district, including some work in the Everglades. Water management issues in Florida are often controversial and she soon realized that there is a bigger picture affecting many stakeholders than simply the science that is involved. When URI got an IGERT project, she applied and that in turn led her to Tanzania, a politically stable but poor country.

AT URI she participated in a number of programs including doing a white paper for U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee’s office.

The Tanzania work was done through the Coastal Resources Center (CRC) and the Tanzania Coastal Management Partnership which is a partnership among CRC, the national Environmental Management Council and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“Working with CRC and TCMP has been a wonderful experience for me because it has given me the opportunity to

actively engage in very interesting projects that examine riverine and coastal issues from both a natural science and social science perspective,” says McNally

In announcing the awards, Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lauterbacher, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator said “NOAA is proud to honor the coastal and ocean shining stars who dedicate countless hours and energy to conserving coastal resources and improving coastal communities.” The Jones Awards are named after the late Rep. Walter B. Jones who was chairman of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee.

McNally’s work in Tanzania has garnered praise not only from the Nation’s Capitol but also from URI. Said Judith Swift, URI professor of communications studies, wrote “Cathy has been exemplary from day one, ready to meet the challenges of interdisciplinary work and the need to communicate science effectively to broader audiences.” Swift continued, “Cathy did superb work as a Coastal Institute IGERT Project Trainer. Her sponsored internship with the Coastal Resources Center project in Tanzania was a clear indication of her path to excellence.”

The Wami River is not the biggest one in the country but it has tremendous significance to the communities along its banks and even on the coastline. Flow studies are important for any type of development. For example one European concern is planning a big sugar cane plantation to generate raw material for biofuel production but the question remains how much of the river’s flow will be required for irrigating the plantation and then there are other questions such as what impact it will have on existing uses. To reach any conclusions, a lot of studies and assessments have to be done.

Some studies even look at bird habitats, for example. Others look at how bank erosion can affect the habitats of terrestrial wildlife, such as elephants and primates. “One needs an understanding of the tradeoffs,” she says, when new developments are proposed.

The NOAA award carries no money but the recognition is significant. As for the future, she plans on going back to Tanzania for more research in a country that can use a lot of help in managing its assets.

“It’s all about finding a balance,” she says.

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