The dirt on snails: An experimental test of the effects of fine sediments on snail mortality Student: Joseph Sapp Mentor:

Lake Tanganyika’s many endemic species are under threat by impacts from human development and land use changes. Anthropogenic sediment inputs into the lake have increased, with a suite of negative effects on the benthic fauna. Sedimentation reduces habitat heterogeneity, alters cycling of nutrients, interferes with visibility, and interferes with photosynthesis. For fauna of the rocky benthos, settled sediments may directly affect movement, digestion, and respiration. Experimental tests and field studies are needed to determine the species most at risk and the effects most damaging from excess sedimentation.