Senior Research Scientist Mariculture Marine Biology & Molecular Ecology Reproductive Biology • Environmental Physiology • Genomics Location KMFRI Shimoni Centre (NAMARET) Department Mariculture Specialization Marine Biology and Ecology; Reproductive Biology and Environmental Physiology; Molecular and Genomic Sciences. | Research Focus: Bridging ecological research and practical aquaculture development to support community livelihoods and the growth of Kenya's Blue Economy, with expertise spanning marine biodiversity, molecular biology, and reproductive physiology. Anthony is a Senior Research Scientist with 20 years of experience in marine and coastal research. His early work centered on marine biodiversity and ecological monitoring, including underwater fish surveys, coral reef assessments, habitat mapping, and integrated coastal zone management. That fieldwork fed into conservation strategies for the sustainable use of Kenya's marine and coastal resources. Over time his research has moved from classical ecology toward molecular biology, giving him a way to study marine organisms at both the ecosystem and cellular level. He completed his PhD in Marine Environment and Resources at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain, in December 2023, examining how environmental pollutants affect fish reproduction at the molecular and cellular level. This has let him bring genetic and physiological analysis into his broader work on fisheries management, mariculture sustainability, and species adaptation. Anthony is currently focused on mariculture research aimed at improving livelihoods for coastal communities, from helping develop Kenya's first marine hatchery to expanding marine fish farming along the coast. His work sits at the intersection of ecological research and practical aquaculture development, supporting both community livelihoods and the growth of Kenya's Blue Economy. Research Interests
Qualifications
Online Research Links Selected Publications Munguti, J., Muthoka, M., Kyule, D., Nzioka, A., Ogello, E., Magondu, E. W., Mukami, M. & Wainaina, M. (2025). Current Status and Production Trends of Commercially Cultured Mariculture Species Along the Kenyan Coast: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Prospects. Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries, 5(5), e70118. https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70118 Nzioka, A. (2023). Reproductive constraints and gonadal alterations in fish locally exposed to pollutants: how life history shapes exposure. PhD Thesis. Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country, 296 pp. https://addi.ehu.es/handle/10810/67448 Nzioka, A., Cancio, I., Diaz de Cerio, O., Pinto, E., Almeida, A., Correia, A.T. (2023). Otolith shape and elemental signatures provide insights into the connectivity of euryhaline Chelon labrosus inhabiting two close estuaries with different burdens of xenoestrogens in the Southern Bay of Biscay. Mar. Environ. Res. 189, 106075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106075 Nzioka, A., Madeira, M.J., Kokokiris, L., Ortiz-Zarrogoitia, M., Diaz de Cerio, O., Cancio, I. (2023). Lack of genetic structure in euryhaline Chelon labrosus from the estuaries under anthropic pressure in the Southern Bay of Biscay to the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Environ. Res. 189, 106058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106058 Nzioka, A., Valencia, A., Atxaerandio-Landa, A., Diaz de Cerio, O., Hossain, M.A., Korta, M., Ortiz-Zarragoitia, M., Cancio, I. (2023). Apoptosis and autophagy-related gene transcription during ovarian follicular atresia in European hake (Merluccius merluccius). Mar. Environ. Res. 183, 105846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105846 Nzioka, A., Cancio, I., Diaz De Cerio, O.D., Ortiz-Zarragoitia, M., Pinto, E., Almeida, A., Correia, A.T. (2022). Use of otolith shape and elemental signatures to infer the population structure of the thicklip grey mullet Chelon labrosus in the Southern Bay of Biscay, in: Biology and Life Sciences Forum. MDPI, Basel Switzerland, p. 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2022013071 Uku, J., Daudi, L., Alati, V., Nzioka, A., Muthama, C. (2021). The status of seagrass beds in the coastal county of Lamu, Kenya. Aquat. Ecosyst. Heal. Manag. 24, 35-42. https://doi.org/10.14321/aehm.024.01.07 Valencia, A., Andrieu, J., Nzioka, A., Cancio, I., & Ortiz-Zarragoitia, M. (2020). Transcription pattern of reproduction relevant genes along the brain-pituitary-gonad axis of female, male and intersex thicklip grey mullets, Chelon labrosus, from a polluted harbor. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 287, 113339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113339 Mwachireya, S.A., Nzioka, A.M., Mutiso, D.N. (2017). Coral Recruit-Algae Interactions in Coral Reef Lagoons Are Mediated by Riverine Influences. Int. J. Ecol. 2017, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1351854 Books & Book Chapters Mukami, M., & Nzioka, A. (2023). Environmental considerations for habitat conversion for aquaculture. In J. Uku, A. Allela, M. Osore, & N. Wambiji (Eds.), Marine Spatial Planning and the Sustainable Blue Economy (pp. 47-51). Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Secretariat Office of its Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA). https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000384930.locale=en |
