Senior Research Scientist Oceanography & Hydrography Seagrass Ecology & Marine Conservation Blue Carbon • Ecosystem Restoration • Climate Resilience • Biodiversity Location KMFRI Mombasa Years of Experience 20 years (Joined KMFRI in 2005) Professional Memberships Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Coral Reef and Seagrass Conservation Taskforce, Kenya Western Indian Ocean Seagrass Network (WIOSN) Metadata / Search Keywords Seagrass Ecology; Seagrass Conservation; Coastal Ecosystem Management; Blue Carbon & Climate Change; Red List of Ecosystems (RLE); Ecosystem-Based Management; Science–Policy Interface | Research Focus: Advancing the ecology, conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of seagrass ecosystems through habitat mapping, climate vulnerability assessment, ecosystem resilience studies, fisheries ecology, biodiversity conservation, and nature-based solutions for coastal management. Lillian Nduku Daudi is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Oceanography and Hydrography at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), where she has served in progressively senior scientific positions since 2005. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Marine Biology at Ghent University, Belgium, and holds a Master's degree in Ecological Marine Management from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) and a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from Maseno University, Kenya. Her research focuses on the ecology, conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of seagrass ecosystems, with particular emphasis on habitat mapping, climate change vulnerability, ecosystem resilience, fisheries ecology, biodiversity conservation, and nature-based solutions for coastal management. She has led and contributed to numerous nationally and internationally funded research projects on seagrass ecology, fish habitat connectivity, climate resilience, blue carbon, and large-scale seagrass mapping in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). Ms. Daudi has collaborated extensively with regional and international organizations including WIOMSA, WWF, Fauna & Flora International, CORDIO East Africa, East African Wildlife Society, IUCN, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the World Bank. Her consultancy work has supported marine spatial planning, environmental impact assessments, ecosystem restoration, Red List of Ecosystems assessments, transboundary conservation planning, and climate adaptation initiatives across the WIO region. Her work has strengthened the integration of science into policy and management, supporting sustainable fisheries, blue economy initiatives, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean. Research & Administrative Responsibility
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Selected Publications Ngisiange, N., Tarimo, B., Daudi, L., Mwangi, S., Malesa, F., George, R., ... & Winder, M. (2024). Seasonal fish larvae abundance and composition in seagrass habitats of coastal East Africa. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 11203. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62012-3 Daudi, L. N., Uku, J. N., & De Troch, M. (2023). Effects of habitat complexity on the abundance and diversity of seagrass leaf meiofauna communities in tropical Kenyan seagrass meadows. Aquatic Botany, 187, 103651. Uku J. N., Daudi L.N., Muthama, C., Alati, V., Kimathi, A., Ndirangu, S. (2021). Seagrass restoration trials in tropical seagrass meadows of Kenya. WIO Journal of Marine Science 20 (2) 2021 69-79. 10.4314/wiojms.v20i2.6 Alati, V.M., Olunga, J., Olendo, M., Daudi, L.N., Osuka, K., Odoli, C., Tuda, P., Nordlund, L.M. (2020). Mollusc shell fisheries in coastal Kenya: Local ecological knowledge reveals overfishing. Ocean and Coastal Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105285 Daudi L.N., Uku J. N., De Troch M. (2020). Pigment and fatty acid profiling reveal differences in epiphytic microphytes among tropical Thalassodendron ciliatum meadows. Aquatic Botany. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2020.103253 Daudi L.N., Uku J. N., De Troch M. (2013). Role of the source community for the recovery of seagrass associated meiofauna: a field colonization experiment with seagrass mimics in Diani Beach, Kenya. African Journal of Marine Science 35(1): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2013.769913 Daudi L.N., Lugomela C., Uku J.N., and De Troch M. (2012). Effect of nutrient enrichment on seagrass associated meiofauna in Tanzania. Marine Environment Research 82: 49-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.09.005 Links |
