Rosemary Lowe-McConnell
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Rosemary Helen Lowe-McConnell (née Rosemary Helen Lowe; 24 June 1921 – 22 December 2014) was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 35,800 species of fish had been described as of March 2 ...
,
ecologist Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...
, and
limnologist Limnology ( ; ) is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems. It includes aspects of the biological, chemical, physical, and geological characteristics of fresh and saline, natural and man-made bodies of water. This includes the study of lakes, ...
known for research on
tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically mos ...
and
aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...
. Working in the tropical waters of
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
, Lowe-McConnell was a pioneer in the study of
tropical fish Tropical fish are fish found in aquatic tropical environments around the world. Fishkeepers often keep tropical fish in freshwater and saltwater aquariums. The term "tropical fish" is not a taxonomic group, but rather is a general term for f ...
ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...
and an early adopter of the use of
scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...
for scientific research.


Biography

Rosemary Helen Lowe was educated at Howell's School in
Denbigh Denbigh ( ; ) is a market town and a community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. It was the original county town of the Denbighshire (historic), historic county of Denbighshire created in 1536. Denbigh's Welsh name () translates to ...
,
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
before receiving B.S., M.Sc., and D.Sc. degrees from the
University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...
. She went from there to the
Freshwater Biological Association The Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) is an independent scientific organisation founded in 1929 in Cumbria by Felix Eugen Fritsch, William Harold Pearsall, Francis Balfour-Browne, and Robert Gurney among others. Whilst originally created to ...
,
Far Sawrey Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey are two neighbouring villages in the Furness area of Cumbria, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, both are located in the Lake District between the village of Hawkshead and the lake ...
working on various projects aimed at producing wartime food from fresh waters. Following
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, in 1945, Lowe-McConnell conducted a survey of tilapia
fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...
in the southern part of
Lake Nyasa Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, () is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the fourth largest ...
, continuing the previous survey done in 1939 by
Ethelwynn Trewavas Ethelwynn Trewavas (5 November 1900 – 16 August 1993) was an ichthyologist at the British Museum of Natural History. She was known for her work on the families Cichlidae and Sciaenidae. She worked with Charles Tate Regan, another ichthy ...
, Kate Ricardo Bertram, and John Borley. Lowe-McConnell received no support from any fisheries research organisations for this survey and relied heavily on local fishermen for assistance with her research. As a result of these studies, Lowe-McConnell produced a valuable account of the tilapia fishery that formed a basis for subsequent investigation into Malawian
cichlid Cichlids () are a large, diverse, and widespread family of percomorph fish in the family Cichlidae, order Cichliformes. At least 1,760 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families, with on ...
s. In the survey, Lowe-McConnell identified five tilapiine species, as well as studied other economically viable fish, including
Labeo mesops The Tana labeo (''Labeo mesops'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to Lake Malawi and the Shire River in Malawi. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater lakes. It is threatened by habitat loss and ove ...
. In 1948, Lowe-McConnell studied as a Research Officer in the British Overseas Research Service on the Ugandan shores of
Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropics, tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface are ...
. Here, she helped found the East African Fisheries Research Organisation and briefly served as its Acting Director. Her research again focused again on tilapia as a potential fisheries species. During this time, she assisted many researchers, including
Hugh Cott Hugh Bamford Cott (6 July 1900 – 18 April 1987) was a British zoologist, an authority on both natural and military camouflage, and a scientific illustrator and photographer. Many of his field studies took place in Africa, where he was especia ...
on his
crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include ...
studies and
Humphry Greenwood Peter Humphry Greenwood Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FIBiol (21 April 1927 – 3 March 1995) was an English ichthyologist. Humphry married fellow student Marjorie George (1924 – 2006) in 1950. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society i ...
in his research on haplochromine cichlids. Lowe-McConnell's research during this period served as a foundation for later assessments of the impact fishing and other human activities have on food fishes. After she married the geologist Richard McConnell on December 31, 1953, she was required to resign from the
British Colonial Service The Colonial Service, also known as His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service and replaced in 1954 by Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), was the British government service that administered most of Britain's overseas possessions, under the aut ...
due to the organization's marriage bar. This rule prevented the permanent employment of a married woman in the British Public Service. Soon after their wedding, the McConnells moved to the
Bechuanaland Protectorate The Bechuanaland Protectorate () was a British protectorate, protectorate established on 31 March 1885 in Southern Africa by the United Kingdom. It became the Botswana, Republic of Botswana on 30 September 1966. History Scottish missionary ...
, where their joint research focused on
Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...
n
natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
. During this time, Lowe-McConnell was appointed as the ichthyologist on the R.V. Cape St Mary to conduct marine fieldwork on the unexplored Guiana shelf. She also developed her Okavango fish collection, now housed in the
Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum (Lo ...
. In 1955, she described four new species and subspecies of tilapias in
Lake Jipe Lake Jipe is an inter-territorial lake straddling the borders of Kenya and Tanzania. On the Kenyan side, it is located south of the village of Nghonji while on the Tanzanian side, it is situated within Mwanga District, in Kilimanjaro Region. The ...
and the
Pangani River The Pangani River (''Mto Pangani'', in Swahili language, Swahili), (also called Luffu and Jipe Ruvu, especially in older sources, and probably once called Rhaptus) is a major river of northeastern Tanzania. It has two main sources: the Ruvu Jip ...
. In 1957, Richard became director of the Geological Survey in
British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...
and Lowe-McConnell provided research support. She was also hired by the Guiana Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to conduct fish surveys in unstudied areas, which provided a foundation for studying the diverse and ecologically complex
Rupununi The Rupununi is a region in the south-west of Guyana, bordering the Brazilian Amazon. The Rupununi river, also known by the local indigenous peoples as ''Raponani'', flows through the Rupununi region. The name Rupununi originates from the word '' ...
fish communities. Her 1959 paper on the differences between tilapia species served as the basis for
Ethelwynn Trewavas Ethelwynn Trewavas (5 November 1900 – 16 August 1993) was an ichthyologist at the British Museum of Natural History. She was known for her work on the families Cichlidae and Sciaenidae. She worked with Charles Tate Regan, another ichthy ...
' division of tilapiine fish genera. When Richard retired in 1962, the McConnells moved back to England, where Lowe-McConnell joined the
Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum (Lo ...
as an Associate. While at the museum, Lowe-McConnell worked closely with
Ethelwynn Trewavas Ethelwynn Trewavas (5 November 1900 – 16 August 1993) was an ichthyologist at the British Museum of Natural History. She was known for her work on the families Cichlidae and Sciaenidae. She worked with Charles Tate Regan, another ichthy ...
e on their extensive collections and global research. In 1968, Lowe-McConnell was appointed as ichthyologist on the
Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, r ...
/
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
Xavantina Cachimbo Expedition to northeastern
Mato Grosso Mato Grosso ( – ) is one of the states of Brazil, the List of Brazilian states by area, third largest by area, located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible ...
,
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. She traveled to Gatun Lake in Panamá in 1979 to assist Thomas Zaret in studying the impact of an introduced
cichla Peacock bass or Brazilian tucunaré are large freshwater cichlids of the genus ''Cichla''. These are diurnal predatory fishes native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas, in tropical South America. They are someti ...
species. Lowe-McConnell was widely known as a leader in her field and engaged with numerous international conferences, projects, and publications. Her work was requested by global organizations, including the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...
,
United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
, and the International Center of Living Aquatic Resources Management. During the 1980s through the early 2000s, Lowe-McConnell worked with Great Lakes research projects and governance bodies, including the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization. In 1997, Lowe-McConnell was awarded the
Linnean Medal The Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or (as has been common since 1958) to one of each in the same year. The medal was of gold until 1976, and ...
of Zoology by the
Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript a ...
. Lowe-McConnell continued to remain active in her field until her death on 22 December 2014 at St. George’s Park in
Ditchling Ditchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes (district), Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park; the order confirming the establishment of the park was sign ...
, England.


Taxon described by her

*See :Taxa named by Rosemary Lowe-McConnell


Legacy

The Pike Cichlid, '' Crenicichla rosemariae'' S. O. Kullander, 1997 is named after her.


Selected publications

Lowe-McConnell was authored or co-author for over 80 publications and edited or co-edited three books. * ''Notes on the fishes found in Georgetown fish markets and their seasonal fluctuations'' (1962) * ''Man-made Lakes'' (1966) * ''Speciation in tropical environments'', with
Ernst Mayr Ernst Walter Mayr ( ; ; 5 July 1904 – 3 February 2005) was a German-American evolutionary biologist. He was also a renowned Taxonomy (biology), taxonomist, tropical explorer, ornithologist, Philosophy of biology, philosopher of biology, and ...
(1969) * ''Fish communities in tropical freshwaters: their distribution, ecology and evolution'' (1975) * ''Ecology of fishes in tropical waters'' (1977) * ''The functioning of freshwater ecosystems'', with E. D. Le Cren (1980) * ''Ecological studies in tropical fish communities'' (1987) * ''Symposium on Resource Use and Conservation of the African Great Lakes: Bujumbura 1989; with 18 tables'' (1992) * ''Land of waters: explorations in the natural history of Guyana, South America'' (2000) * ''Recent research in the African great lakes: fisheries, biodiversity and cichild evolution'' (2003) * ''The Tilapia Trail: The life story of a fish biologist'' (2006)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe-McConnell, Rosemary 1921 births 2014 deaths Scientists from Liverpool Alumni of the University of Liverpool English marine biologists Linnean Medallists People from Ditchling