George Wiafe [BSc. (Ghana), M.Phil (UK), PhD (Ghana)]
Research interest
• Assessment of marine plankton diversity and dynamics; Coastal processes and shoreline evolution; Application of remote sensing (including unmanned aerial vehicles) for resource management; Assessment of oceanographic processes and events in the Gulf of Guinea. Research Group - is the Earth Observation Research Group. Regional Marine Centre. Website - https://gmes.ug.edu.gh
Current research/project(s)
Development of potential fishing zones and monitoring of fishing vessels to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; Investigation into shoreline change dynamics of West Africa; Coastal ecosystem and habitat change monitoring; Use of open source tools to develop environmental monitoring kits
Past research projects
• Grant for Darwin Initiative Project on Marine Biodiversity and Capacity Building in the West African sub-region. (1997 – 1999). Funding agency: Darwin Initiative UK.
• Sub-Grant for Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Productivity and Biodiversity Assessment. (2008 – 2009). Funding agency: Global Environment.
• Grant for Coastal and Continental Shelf Processes in Ghana. (2008 – 2011). Funding agency: US Office of Naval Research.
• Grant for Meteorology and Oceanography Strategic Studies Program in Ghana, Nigeria, and Gabon. (2009 - 2011). Funding agency: US Navy (NAVAF).
• Grant for Amounts and Types of Solid Waste Entering the Gulf of Guinea from Ghana. (2010 - 2011). Funding agency: U.S. NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
• Grant for Duquesne University - University of Ghana Exchange Program for Emerging Young Professionals in Environmental Affairs. (2010 – 2011). Funding agency: US Department of State.
• Grant for University of Ghana – Elizabeth City State University Exchange Programme for undergraduate students. (2010 - 2012). Funding agency: US Office of Naval Research.
• Grant for Europe Africa Marine Network (EAMNet) Capacity Building for Earth Observation in Ghana. (2010 – 2012). Funding agency: European Commission 7th EDF.
• Grant for Vessel Characterization in the Gulf of Guinea – Small Boat Detection Sea Trial. (2011 - 2012). Funding agency: US Office of Naval Research.
• Grant for Capacity Building in South Africa, Namibia and Ghana to create sustainable, non-food bio-oil supply chains. (2010 – 2012). Funding agency: European Commission 7th EDF.
• Grant for Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) ECOWAS Marine Thema. (2014 – 2017). Funding agency: European Commission 10th EDF.
• Grant for Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa coastal and marine resources management in Western Africa. (2018 – 2021). Funding agency: European Commission and African Union Commission.
Awards
• Award as US State Department State and Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs International Visitor Leadership Fellow for Natural Resources Management (May 30 – June 20, 2009)
• Association of Commonwealth Universities, Split-site scholarship for completion of Doctoral Thesis in Marine Plankton tenable at University of Newcastle, U.K. (2000 - 2001).
• Darwin Initiative Fellowship for production of database and teaching pack on marine zooplankton of West Africa, under the Darwin Initiative Project on Marine Biodiversity and Capacity Building in the West African sub-region (1997 – 1999)
• UNIDO/UNDP Training Scholarship for analysis of Continuous Plankton Recorder samples under the Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem Project (1998)
• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO Scholarship for marine zooplankton studies in Ghana (1998)
• A.G. Leventis Research Scholarship for Doctoral Studies in Marine Plankton dynamics at University of Ghana (1997 - 2000).
• International Ocean Institute Fellowship for Training Course on United Nations Agenda 21 and the Law of the Sea, Halifax, Canada. 10 June - 15 August, 1997.
• Overseas Development Administration (UK) Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies in Marine Biology at University of Newcastle, U.K. (1992 - 1994).
Recent publications (2015 - 2020)
• Kurekin, A.A.; Loveday, B.R.; Clements, O.; Quartly, G.D.; Miller, P.I.; Wiafe, G.; Adu Agyekum, K. (2019) Operational Monitoring of Illegal Fishing in Ghana through Exploitation of Satellite Earth Observation and AIS Data. Remote Sensing 11, 293.
• Debrah E. A., Wiafe G., Agyekum K. A., Aheto D.W. (2018). An Assessment of the Potential for Mapping Fishing Zones off the Coast of Ghana using Ocean Forecast Data and Vessel Movement. West African Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 26(2), 2018: 26 – 43
• Agyekum, K.A., Wiafe, G., and Nunoo, F.K.E. (2018). Mapping of potential fishing zones in support of fisheries management in West Africa. Science and Development Volume 2, No. 1, 2018
• Boye, C.B., Appeaning Addo, K., Wiafe, G., Dzigbodi-Adjimah. K. (2018). Spatio-temporal analyses of shoreline change in the Western Region of Ghana. Journal of Coastal Conservation Volume 22 (4): 769–776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-018-0607-z
• Boateng, I., Wiafe, G., Jayson-Quashigah, P.N. (2017). Mapping Vulnerability and Risk of Ghana's Coastline to Sea Level Rise, Marine Geodesy, 40:1, 23-39, DOI: 10.1080/01490419.2016.1261745
• Wiafe, G., Dovlo, E., Agyekum, K. (2016). Comparative Productivity and Biomass Yields of the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Environmental Development 17(1): 93 – 104. DOI: 10.1016/j. envdev.2015.07.001
• Mensah, A.M., Wiafe, G., Niane, M., Agyekum, K.A, Foli, B.A., Azumah, D.M.Y, Williams, I.K., Boakye, A.A., Adiku, P.Y. (2016) Strategic Communication Plan: Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (FED/2014/331697). Publishers Digibooks Ghana Ltd. p 129. ISBN: 978-9988-2-3251-1
• Azumah Y. D., Wiafe, G., and Ofori-Danson, P.K. (2016). Application of Geographic Information System to inland fisheries management: a case study of Stratum VII (Yeji Sector), Volta Lake, Ghana. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquaculture 7(11): 167 – 177. DOI:10.5897/IJFA/15.0499
• Angnuureng, D.B., Almar, R., Addo, K.A., Castelle, B., Senechal, N., Laryea, S.W., Wiafe, G. Video observation of waves and shoreline change on the microtidal James Town beach in Ghana (2016) Journal of Coastal Research (Special Issue) 75:1022 - 1026. DOI: 10.2112/SI75-205.1
• Boateng, I., Wiafe, G., Jayson-Quashigah P. (2016). Mapping vulnerability and risk of Ghana's coastline to sea level rise. Marine Geodesy. DOI: 10.1080/01490419.2016.1261745 (see Annex 2 for proof of acceptance)
• Stastny, J., Cheung, S., Wiafe, G., Agyekum, K., Greidanus, H. (2015): Application of RADAR Corner Reflectors for the Detection of Small Vessels in Synthetic Aperture Radar. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 8(3): 1099 – 1107. DOI: 10.1109/JSTARS.2014.2359797
• de Graaf, G.J., Nunoo, F., Ofori Danson, P., Wiafe, G., Lamptey, E. and Bannerman, P. (2015). International training course in fisheries statistics and data collection. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No. 1091. FAO Publishers, Rome. 134 pp
• Wiafe, G. and Nyadjro, E.S. (2015): Satellite Observations of Upwelling in the Gulf of Guinea. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters. 12(5):1066 - 1070. Art. No. 7005412. DOI: 10.1109/LGRS.2014.2379474
• Wiafe, G. and Agyekum A. K. (2015). Satellite Earth Observation in Support of Environmental and Resource Monitoring in the Gulf of Guinea. In Assessment and impact of developmental activities on the marine environment and the fisheries resources of the Gulf of Guinea. (Ed.) Ofori – Danson, P.K., Nyarko, E., Appeaning Addo, K., Atsu, A.K., Botwe, B.O., and Asamoah, E.K. University of Ghana Readers: Physical and Life Sciences Series No. 2. Publishers Digibooks Ghana Ltd. 3 - 22pp
• Wiafe, G. and Agyekum A. K. (2015) An Assessment of Primary Production in the Gulf of Guinea. In Assessment and impact of developmental activities on the marine environment and the fisheries resources of the Gulf of Guinea. (Ed.) Ofori – Danson, P.K., Nyarko, E., Appeaning Addo, K., Atsu, A.K., Botwe, B.O., and Asamoah, E.K. University of Ghana Readers: Physical and Life Sciences Series No. 2. Publishers Digibooks Ghana Ltd. 23 - 42pp
• Appeaning Addo, K., Boateng, I., Wiafe, G. and Ababio, S. D. (2015). Key Data and Methodologies for Monitoring Coastal Erosion in the Gulf of Guinea. In Assessment and impact of developmental activities on the marine environment and the fisheries resources of the Gulf of Guinea. (Ed.) Ofori – Danson, P.K., Nyarko, E., Appeaning Addo, K., Atsu, A.K., Botwe, B.O., and Asamoah, E.K. University of Ghana Readers: Physical and Life Sciences Series No. 2. Publishers Digibooks Ghana Ltd. 65 - 96pp
• Boateng, I., Appeaning Addo, K., Wiafe, G. and Ababio, S. D. (2015). An Overview of Coastal Erosion Management Policy Alternatives for Developing Countries. In Assessment and impact of developmental activities on the marine environment and the fisheries resources of the Gulf of Guinea. (Ed.) Ofori – Danson, P.K., Nyarko, E., Appeaning Addo, K., Atsu, A.K., Botwe, B.O., and Asamoah, E.K. University of Ghana Readers: Physical and Life Sciences Series No. 2. Publishers Digibooks Ghana Ltd. 97 - 115pp
Professional membership(s)
• University Teachers Association (1996 – present)
• Member, Ghana Science Association (1996 – present)
• Expert Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Group of Experts (2005 – present)
• Member, Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) (2010 – present)
• Alumnus Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS) (2010 – present)
• Expert Member Global Ocean Observing System-Africa (GOOS-Africa) (2013 - present)
• African Union – Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) (2015 - present)
• Representative of JCOMM to WMO RAI (Africa) Dissemination Expert working Group (RAIDEG) (2015 – present)