Senior Research Scientist Fisheries Research Fisheries & Aquatic Ecology Stock Assessment • Hydroacoustics • Water Quality • Cage Aquaculture Email: nmrombo@kmfri.go.ke Years of Experience 2019-Present (7 years at KMFRI) Research Interests Catch assessment; Fisheries stock assessment; Fish kill investigations; Hydroacoustic fisheries surveys; Water quality monitoring; Aquaculture and cage culture | Research Focus: Advancing evidence-based fisheries management through research on inland fisheries, aquaculture, aquatic environmental monitoring, and the impacts of pollution and climate-related processes on fish production. Nathan Lenjo Mrombo is a Fisheries Research Scientist under the Freshwater Systems Directorate at the Kisumu Centre. He joined KMFRI in 2019 and has extensive experience in fisheries research, aquatic ecology, fish stock assessment, water quality monitoring, and sustainable fisheries management. He holds a Master of Science in Fisheries from Pwani University and a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from Moi University. His research focuses on inland fisheries, aquaculture, aquatic environmental monitoring, and the impacts of pollution and climate-related processes on fish production. Nathan has participated in numerous impactful national and regional research programmes and initiatives, including the Lake Victoria Regional Hydroacoustic Survey; the Lake Victoria Small Fish Project; the installation of an Early Warning System (EWS) to predict fish kill events in Lake Victoria through collaboration between KMFRI and Shoshin Innovation Hub; research exploring the use of experimental solar lights for the Rastrineobola argentea (dagaa) fishery in Lake Victoria and the small pelagic fisheries of Lake Turkana; cage aquaculture assessments; pollution monitoring in Lake Victoria. His research portfolio also spans across marine systems where he conducted definitive stock status assessments for Epinephelus fuscoguttatus and Lethrinus lentjan and other fisheries surveys along the Kenyan coast. Nathan is a recipient of the competitive Commonwealth Professional Fellowship (2026) and also underwent extensive training in African fish taxonomy at the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Belgium in 2021. Nathan has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed scientific publications on fisheries biology, fish stock status, environmental pollution, and fish kill events. His work supports evidence-based fisheries management, sustainable aquaculture development, and conservation of Kenya's aquatic resources. Research & Administrative Responsibility - ▹ Fisheries research and stock assessment
- ▹ Installation and monitoring of Early Warning Systems (EWS) for fish kills
- ▹ Pollution monitoring and assessment of impacts on fish ecology
- ▹ Water quality monitoring and environmental assessments
- ▹ Hydroacoustic fisheries surveys
- ▹ Cage aquaculture assessment and monitoring
- ▹ Field survey coordination, data analysis and scientific reporting
Research Interest / Areas of Expertise - ▹ Catch assessment
- ▹ Fisheries stock assessment
- ▹ Fish kill investigations
- ▹ Hydroacoustic fisheries surveys
- ▹ Water quality monitoring
- ▹ Aquaculture and cage culture
Academic Qualifications - ▹ Master of Science (Fisheries) – Pwani University, 2017
- ▹ Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Second Class Honours, Upper Division) – Moi University, 2011
Professional Membership - ▹ Member – The Western Indian Ocean Early Career Scientist Network (WIO-ECSN)
Professional Services - ▹ Research collaborator in multidisciplinary fisheries and aquatic ecosystem projects
- ▹ Participant in regional fisheries surveys and environmental monitoring programmes
Awards and Honours Commonwealth Professional Fellowship – British Geological Survey, UK, 2026 International Training Fellowship – FishBase and African Fish Taxonomy, Royal Museum of Central Africa, Belgium, 2021 Selected Publications Mrombo, N., Kiyuka, J., Morara, G., Aura, C., Nyamweya, C., Mwainge, V., & Osore, M. (2025). Unravelling the causes of the current wild fish kills in Kisumu Bay fishery of Lake Victoria, Kenya. Scientific Journal of Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. Mrombo, N. L., Orembo, B. O., Obuya, J. A., & Nyamweya, C. S. (2023). Biology and status of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus (Forsskål, 1775) stocks on the Kenyan coast. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 30(5), 437-445. Aura, C. M., Nyaundi, J., Mrombo, N. L., Osore, M., & Njiru, J. M. (2023). Profiling pesticide concentrations for sustainable lake-use management in Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya: are they within the recommended limits. Kenya Aquat J, 8, 47-61. Meyer, A., Volanandiana, A., Mtonga, C. J., Benjamen, D., Karan, D., Tovela, E., ... Mrombo, N., ... & Silali, V. (2023). Lab protocols for Fish Barcoding. Basooma, A., Mrombo, N., Ongore, C., Mlaponi, E., Nyaboke, H., & Kayanda, R. (2023). A REPORT OF THE LAKE VICTORIA 2022 HYDRO-ACOUSTIC SURVEY. Mwirigi, N., Aura, C., Owili, M., Otuo, P., Mrombo, N., & Odoli, C. (2022). Concentrations of mercury and cadmium in small pelagic fish from Lake Victoria, Kenya: The case of dagaa fishery. Mrombo, N. L., Mlewa, C. N., Munga, C. N., & Manyala, J. O. (2019). Stock status and some biological aspects of Lethrinus lentjan from the south coast of Kenya. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 18(2), 69-76. MROMBO, NATHAN LENJO. STOCK STATUS AND SOME ASPECTS OF THE BIOLOGY OF THE PINK EAR EMPEROR LETHRINUS LENTJAN (LAĆEPÈDE, 1802) IN SOUTH COAST KENYA. MSc Diss. Pwani University, 2017. Links |