Senior Research Scientist Fisheries Department Fish Stock Assessment & Fisheries Ecology Stock Assessment • Gear Selectivity • Depredation • IUU • Longline Fisheries Location KMFRI Mombasa Years of Experience 2014–Present (12 Years at KMFRI) Department Ocean and Marine Fisheries Department Research Interests Fish stock assessment for demersal and pelagic fisheries; Ecology and conservation of fisheries resources; Assessment of depredation and IUU in the fisheries sector; Gear selectivity and impact on fisheries; Industrial marine fisheries | Research Focus: Advancing sustainable fisheries management through stock assessment, gear selectivity studies, and conservation of fisheries resources to support evidence-based policy and the Blue Economy agenda in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean region. Dr. Mary Ontomwa is a Senior Research Scientist specializing in fisheries science, with expertise in fish stock assessment, fisheries ecology, and sustainable fisheries management. She holds a PhD in Fisheries, where her research focused on biomass estimation and stock assessment of pelagic fish in Kenya's marine waters using a target strength application approach. She also earned an MSc in Fisheries, investigating hook size selectivity in the handline fishery of Shimoni, on the south coast of Kenya, contributing to improved understanding of fishing gear performance and sustainable harvesting practices. Dr. Ontomwa's research interests include stock assessment of pelagic and demersal fisheries, ecology and conservation of fisheries resources, assessment of depredation and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fishing gear selectivity, impacts of fishing practices on marine ecosystems, and industrial marine fisheries. Her work provides scientific evidence to support sustainable fisheries management, conservation, and policy development in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean region. Dr. Ontomwa has participated in numerous national and regional fisheries research initiatives that promote evidence-based decision-making, the Blue Economy agenda, and the long-term sustainability of marine fisheries. She has also contributed collaboratively to the development of Kenya's Octopus Fisheries Management Plan and Harvest Strategy, as well as the National Marine Spatial Plan (MSP), supporting ecosystem-based management and sustainable use of marine resources. In addition, she serves as a reviewer and editor for Springer Nature, contributing to the advancement and dissemination of high-quality scientific research in fisheries and marine science. Research & Administrative Responsibility
Research Interest / Areas of Expertise
Academic Qualifications
Professional Membership
Professional Services
Awards and Honours
Selected Publications Ontomwa, M. B., Kimani, E. N., Fulanda, B. M., and Nyamweya, C. S. (2024). Longline pelagic fishery assemblage in Kenya's exclusive economic zone marine waters. Marine Policy, 160, 105989. Ontomwa M. B., Okemwa G. M., Mwangata, J. and Fidel O. O. (2024). Stock status of the dash-and-dot goatfish Parupeneus barberinus (Lacepède, 1801) in Kenya's coastal marine waters. Kenya Aquatica Journal – Volume 9, Issue No. 01. Ontomwa, M. B., Kimani, E. N., Fulanda, B. M., & Nyamweya, C. S. (2022). Evaluation of the Kenya long line pelagic fishery: Temporal variation in fishing effort and catch rates. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 52, 102320. Okemwa, G., Wambiji, N., Kimani, E., Anam, R., Orembo, B., Ontomwa, M., Nyamora, J., Mzingirwa, F., Almubarak, A., Karama, K. (2021). Status of Small-scale Nearshore Finfish Fisheries. Book Chapter. Kimani E., Okemwa G., Aura E., Ruwa R., Wakwabi E., Wambiji N., Nyamora J., Ontomwa M., Mkare T., Orembo B., Mbaru E., Anam R., Okeyo B., Fondo E., Mzingirwa F., Mubarak A. (2018). The status of Kenya Fisheries: Towards Sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources for food security and economic development. Ontomwa, M. B., Fulanda, B. M., Kimani, E. N., & Okemwa, G. M. (2019). Hook size selectivity in the artisanal handline fishery of Shimoni fishing area, south coast, Kenya. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 18(1), 29-46. Ontomwa, M. B., Okemwa, G. M., Kimani, E. N., & Obota, C. (2018). Seasonal variation in the length-weight relationship and condition factor of thirty fish species from the Shimoni artisanal fishery, Kenya. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 17(1), 103-110. Ontomwa, M. B., Fulanda, B. M., Kimani, E. N. and Okemwa, G. M. (2017). Hook size selectivity in the handline fisheries of Shimoni, south coast Kenya. Doctoral dissertation, Pwani University. Okemwa, G., Kaunda-Arara, B., Kimani, E., Ogotu, B., Ong'anda, H., Obota, C., and Ontomwa, M. (2015). Gear-based species selectivity and potential interactions between artisanal and aquarium fisheries in coastal Kenya: implications for reef fisheries management. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 14(1&2), 39-51. Links |
