Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) OFFICIAL

Learners and teachers from Mutonga Comprehensive School visited KMFRI Mutonga for an exciting educational tour on fish farming. The visit offered students a hands-on experience in sustainable aquaculture and environmental conservation, a timely learning moment just before they sit for their exams next week! The team was warmly welcomed and guided by Dr. Elijah Kembenya and Mr. Justus Wakili, who took them through the different stages of fish farming and the importance of protecting aquatic ecosystems. We wish the young scholars the very best in their upcoming exams! #EnvironmentalEducation #MutongaComprehensiveSchool #BlueEconomy #STEMEducation 🎓👏

𝑲𝑴𝑭𝑹𝑰 𝑯𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑺𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒊, 𝑽𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒂 𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 KMFRI convened a two-day Marine Spatial Plan Stakeholders’ Workshop at the Kenya School of Government, Matuga, bringing together key actors in the Blue Economy and the fisheries sector. The Kwale County Commissioner officiated the workshop, Mr. Stephen Orinde, who underscored the importance of collaborations in advancing sustainable resource management and affirmed his support for the project. This workshop forms part of the NORAD-funded project on Strengthening Blue Food Systems in the Shimoni Vanga Region, which aims to enhance livelihoods, food security, and environmental integrity through inclusive and sustainable blue economy practices. A highlight of the engagement was a session led by Dr. Eric Olsen from the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), who introduced participants to the Fuzzy Mental Model, a participatory approach to stakeholder mapping and resource management. Members examined the ocean’s existing resources, activities dependent on them, the pressures arising from those activities, and management measures to address these pressures. Through such collaborative platforms, KMFRI and its partners continue to advance cross-sectoral ocean governance and promote resilient, sustainable blue food systems in coastal Kenya. KMFRI was led by Director, OCS, Dr James Mwaluma, who was representing the DG. The engagement brought together participants from the National and County Governments, including the State Department for the Blue Economy and Fisheries and the Kwale County Government. It also involved State Corporations such as the Kenya Maritime Authority, kenya fisheries service kefs, Kenya Forest Service, and Kenya Wildlife Service, among others. In addition, private sector partners, including The Nature Conservancy, KEMFSED, Reefolution, Vanga Blue Forest, COMRED, and WRTI, participated alongside Beach Management Units (BMUs) and other stakeholders in the fisheries sector. #BlueEconomy #SustainableOceans #FisheriesManagement #StakeholderEngagement

𝑲𝑴𝑭𝑹𝑰 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒐 KMFRI research scientists and the technical team based at the Baringo Station conducted a three-day field study covering River Molo, Lake 94, and Lake Baringo. The research aimed to collect ecological data to determine the socioeconomic impacts of fishing and contribute to the catch assessment survey. The study also involved the identification of macrophytes and invasive species present in Lake Baringo, as well as the documentation of physicochemical parameters. 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦? Identifying both native and invasive plant species supports conservation efforts by protecting native biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance; while early detection of invasive species enables timely management interventions to prevent their spread and mitigate negative impacts on fisheries, habitats, and water quality. Further, some macrophytes provide breeding and nursery habitats for fish, while invasive species can degrade habitats and reduce fish productivity. Understanding these dynamics helps in designing effective fisheries management strategies. #Research #KMFRI #BlueEconomy #LakeBaringo #FisheriesScience #SustainableFisheries #Kenya

🎉 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑫𝒓. 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝑲𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒂! 🎉 KMFRI is proud to celebrate our very own Dr. Juliet Karisa on her appointment to the Coral Restoration Consortium’s (CRC) Advisory Board! 🌍💙 Dr. Karisa, a distinguished marine scientist, continues to shape the future of coral reef restoration in Kenya and beyond. Her leadership in advancing national restoration protocols, strengthening research networks, and mentoring young marine scientists embodies KMFRI’s commitment to sustainable ocean solutions. She joins five other globally recognized experts, bringing diverse expertise in areas such as reef ecology, policy advocacy, and community-based conservation, to guide the CRC’s strategic direction. We are confident that Dr. Juliet Karisa contribution will amplify the voice of the Western Indian Ocean region in global coral restoration and ocean governance efforts. 👏 Join us in congratulating Dr. Karisa on this remarkable achievement! #MarineScience, #CoralReefRestoration, #WomenInScience, #OceanConservation,

𝑲𝑴𝑭𝑹𝑰 𝒑𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒚 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝑲𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) paid a courtesy visit to the Kwale County Governor ahead of the upcoming Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) Stakeholders Workshop to be held at the Kenya School of Government, Matuga. The meeting precedes the implementation of a four-year project on Strengthening Blue Food Systems in the Shimoni-Vanga region, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). The initiative seeks to enhance livelihoods, food security, and community resilience while promoting sustainable blue economy investments. A key component of the project is the co-development of a Sustainable Ocean Plan (SOP) for the Shimoni-Vanga Joint Co-management Area, integrating community priorities with national and regional marine governance frameworks. The KMFRI delegation was led by Dr. James Mwaluma (representing Director General Dr. Paul Orina) and Dr. Jacqueline Uku, National Leader for Marine Spatial Planning. The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) team from Norway was led by Dr. Eric Olsen. On behalf of the Governor H.E. Fatuma Achani, the delegation was received by Madam Sylvia Chidodo Leli, Head of Public Service and County Secretary, Kwale County. #BlueEconomy #MarineSpatialPlanning #SustainableOceans #KMFRI #KwaleCounty #Kenya #NORAD

🌊 𝑲𝑴𝑭𝑹𝑰 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕! 🌊 We’re proud to be part of the Coral Accelerator Program (CAP) 2024, an initiative supporting innovative reef restoration across the globe. One of this year’s awarded projects, “𝑆𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑂𝑐𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑀𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖-𝐿𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 (𝑊𝐼𝑂 𝐶𝑅𝑅),” brings together leading scientists and institutions to strengthen technical, scientific, and governance capacity in coral reef restoration across the region. Led by Dr. Arthur Tuda (WIOMSA), with co-leads Prof. Peter Harrison, Prof. Gildas Todinanahary, Dr. Juliet Karisa, Yvonne Waweru, and Dr. Vera Horigue, the project aims to: ✅ Develop innovative, scalable, and ecologically sound coral restoration methods ✅ Build a regional governance framework for responsible restoration ✅ Support continuous capacity building and long-term reef monitoring The project will be implemented in Madagascar and Kenya, with support from WIOMSA, KMFRI, Southern Cross University, University of Toliara, and Macquarie University. Together, we’re advancing science for resilient oceans and thriving coastal communities. 🌍💙 🔗 Learn more about CAP 2024 and the awarded projects: https://zurl.co/S1Ybe #CAP2024, #CoralReefRestoration, #MarineScience,

🇰🇪 Happy Mashujaa Day! 🇰🇪 As we commemorate Mashujaa Day 2025, KMFRI joins the nation in celebrating the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of our heroes and heroines, both past and present, who have played a pivotal role in shaping our nation’s destiny. We pay special tribute to the scientists, researchers, and innovators who continue to champion Kenya’s Blue Economy, advancing knowledge, conserving our marine and freshwater ecosystems, and enhancing livelihoods through sustainable fisheries. Your dedication and service embody the true spirit of Mashujaa: transforming lives through sustainable energy and aquatic resource solutions for a better, greener future. 🌊⚡ Happy Mashujaa Day! Honouring our heroes. Inspiring the future. #MashujaaDay2025 #KMFRI #BlueEconomy #ScienceForSustainability

We join the nation in mourning the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, E.G.H, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya. His leadership and commitment to national unity will forever be remembered. Rest in Eternal Peace. #RailaOdinga, #Tribute,