Senior Research Scientist Oceanography & Hydrography Coral Reef Ecology & Restoration Climate Resilience • Ocean Accounts • Marine Biodiversity • Blue Economy Location KMFRI Mombasa Years of Experience 2009–Present (17 Years at KMFRI) Directorate Oceans and Coastal Systems and Blue Economy Research Interests Coral Reef Ecology, Resilience & Restoration; Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation; Marine Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation; Ocean Accounts & Sustainable Ocean Management; Marine Monitoring, Technology & Innovation; Community-led Conservation & Science-to-Policy | Research Focus: Advancing coral reef resilience and restoration, integrating ocean accounts into economic planning, and strengthening community-led conservation to support sustainable ocean management and climate adaptation in the Western Indian Ocean. Dr. Juliet Furaha Karisa is a Senior Research Scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), with a special focus on building climate resilience in coral reef ecosystems through research in coral reef ecology, restoration, ocean accounts, and sustainable ocean management. Dr. Karisa has contributed to global studies examining ecological risks associated with coral reef restoration and regional assessments of the vulnerability of Western Indian Ocean coral reefs to ecosystem collapse, alongside research documenting coral reef restoration initiatives across the WIO. In Kenya, she has contributed to national climate vulnerability assessments of coastal and marine ecosystems to inform adaptation and conservation planning. At the community level, she has built capacity to coastal communities in reef monitoring, management, and restoration and supported the establishment of six community-led coral reef restoration sites along the Kenyan coast, strengthening local stewardship and restoration practice. Through a GOAP fellowship, she is currently piloting Ocean Accounts in coastal Kenya, linking marine ecosystem information with economic planning, policy, and climate adaptation. Dr. Karisa serves as Co-Chair of the ICRI Ad Hoc Committee on Coral Reef Restoration, Advisory Board Member of the Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC), and Advisory Council Member of Revive & Restore's Advanced Coral Toolkit. Across these global platforms, she contributes to advancing coral reef restoration guidance and best practices while supporting scientific innovation and emerging interventions to overcome barriers to effective restoration. She is also a member of the Western Indian Ocean Coral Reef Restoration Network (WIOCRRN) and is currently spearheading the establishment of its Kenya Chapter, strengthening collaboration, knowledge exchange, capacity, and best-practice restoration among practitioners at the national and regional levels. Dr. Karisa holds a PhD in Biodiversity from National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan, an MPhil in Fisheries Management jointly from Moi University, Kenya, and Linköping University, Sweden, and a BSc in Fisheries and Aquatic Science from Moi University, Kenya. Research & Administrative Responsibility
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Selected Publications Karisa JF, Obura DO, Chen CA. (2020). Spatial heterogeneity of coral reef benthic communities in Kenya. PloS one. 2020 Aug 26;15(8):e0237397. Karisa JF, Farouk O, Nazurally N, Saponari L, Wambugu J, Kawaka J, Todinanahary G, Laudisoit A, Slade L, Ogega N, Ouma D. (2026). A review of coral reef restoration initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean Region. PloS one. 2026 May 8;21(5):e0348015. Karisa JF, Kaunda-Arara BO, Obura DO. (2008). Spatial and temporal variation in coral recruitment and mortality in coastal Kenya. Coastal Ocean Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO). Obura, David, Mishal Gudka, Melita Samoilys, Kennedy Osuka, James Mbugua, David A. Keith, Sean Porter et al. (2022). Vulnerability to collapse of coral reef ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean. Nature Sustainability 5, no. 2 (2022): 104-113. Gudka M, Obura D, Treml E, Samoilys M, Aboud SA, Osuka KE, Mbugua J, Mwaura J, Karisa J, Knoester EG, Musila P. (2024). Leveraging the Red List of Ecosystems for action on coral reefs through the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Conservation Science and Practice. 2024 Dec;6(12):e13255. Hammerman NM, Allen CE, Devlin M, Van Oppen MJ, Vains J, Gibbs M, Karisa J, Pears RJ. (2026). A review of ecological risks of coral reef interventions. Restoration Ecology. 2026 Mar 24:e70363. Mwaura, Jelvas M., Dishon Murage, Juliet F. Karisa, Levy M. Otwoma, and H. O. Said. (2022). Artificial reef structures and coral transplantation as potential tools for enhancing locally-managed inshore reefs: a case study from Wasini Island, Kenya. WIO J. Mar. Sci 21, no. 2 (2022): 83-94. Links |
