The Gabon Biodiversity Program: A Conservation Research Collaboration

Researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, in collaboration with Gabonese scientists, are studying the biological diversity of the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas. Studies under the Gabon Biodiversity Program, a partnership with an oil company, first consisted of biological assessments of select plant, vertebrate, and invertebrate taxonomic groups. In its second phase, the program is addressing ecological questions and assessing effects of human activities. Information generated is disseminated via education and outreach activities for the town of Gamba (> 9,000 people), as well as at the national level, to promote the value of biodiversity. The program demonstrates the importance that the private sector can have in protecting the biodiversity that we all require for survival.