Overview

The 2016 Coastal Ocean Environment Summer School in Ghana was held from August 1-5 at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra. The 2016 school was larger than the 2015 school, drawing about 100 Ghanaian participants, from a wider range of institutions, including the government sector, private sector, and several universities. The 2016 school also featured more lecturers, from both the US and Ghana. Other changes in the 2016 school, relative to the 2015 school, included hands-on labs, a field trip to a nearby beach and estuary, and an additional day on the schedule. Six University of Michigan undergraduates participated in the 2016 school. The 2016 summer school school flier can be found here.

Students and professors at the 2016 summer school opening ceremony

Instructors

The 2016 Summer School was led by instructors from the University of Ghana, Regional Maritime University and from several institutions in the United States.

(from left to right) Top Row: Prosper Zigah, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Adam Simon, Brian Arbic, Andrew Lucas, Joseph Ansong; Middle Row: Aline Cotel, Ebenezer Nyadjro, Ayaa Armah, Emily Shroyer, Edem M. Kyere-Yeboah; Front Row: Felix Uba

Dr. Lailah Gifty Akita, PhD, University of Ghana

Dr. Kwasi Appeaning Addo , Head, Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana. Coastal physical oceanography, geomorphology.

Dr. Joseph K. Ansong, Research Scientist, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan. Physical oceanography, ocean modeling, laboratory fluid dynamics.

Dr. Brian K. Arbic, Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan. Physical oceanography, ocean modeling.

Dr. Aline J. Cotel, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan. Environmental and biological fluid dynamics.

Dr. Edem Mahu, Lecturer, University of Ghana

Dr. Angela Lamptey, Lecturer, Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana. Fisheries science and management.

Dr. Andrew J. Lucas, Lecturer and Assistant Research Oceanographer, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. Observational physical oceanography, impact of ocean physics on primary productivity.

Dr. Ebenezer S. Nyadjro, Research Oceanographer, University of New Orleans and Naval Research Laboratory. Satellite oceanography.

Dr. Emily L. Shroyer, Professor, Oregon State University. Observational physical oceanography, coastal oceanography.

Dr. Adam C. Simon, Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan. Economic geology, oil and gas basin development, ore deposits.

Dr. Prosper K. Zigah, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Organic and isotope biogeochemistry.

University of Michigan student research assistants:

During the summer school the research assistants took photos and assisted with preparation for the labs. Outside of school hours, they traveled to sites in and outside of Accra to conduct interviews relevant to the development of sustainability case studies. Elizabeth Oliphant and Mark Finlay studied the use of jatropha for biofuels in Ghana. They chose to focus on biofuels particularly jatropha biodiesel because jatropha can be produced in Ghana thus increasing energy independence. Their final report will look at the environmental, social and economic effects of jatropha. Jessica Hicks and Erich Eberhard investigated cocoa agriculture in Ghana and its impact on forests within the country. Cocoa makes up approximately 60% of Ghana’s agricultural GDP. However, as economic and social factors prompt farmers to change their practices and lifestyles, the future security of cocoa and forests alike is uncertain. Anne Canavati and Jayson Toweh studied the pollution at the e-waste dump site in Accra. They chose to focus on how various stakeholders (the workers, government agencies, non-profits, and waste companies) could come up with a solution that benefits the workers and reduces the negative health effects and environmental pollution. Their final report will look at the various stakeholders proposed solutions, and allow students to debate the various positions.

Anne Canavati, Bachelor of Arts, Univ. Michigan