Principal Research Scientist Marine Geology Marine Geology & Hydrography Sediment Dynamics • Bathymetry • Sea-Level Rise • Blue Economy Location KMFRI Headquarters, Mombasa Years of Experience 2010-Present (15 years at KMFRI) Research Interests Sedimentation: sources, transport and fate; Geological and physical oceanography; Hydroacoustics (seafloor mapping); Modelling (sediment transport, sea level, surface currents); Coastal habitat response to sea-level rise; Remote sensing (satellite data) | Research Focus: Investigating sediment sources, transport, deposition and accretion along the Kenyan coast, and how these processes influence critical habitats such as mangroves under changing sea levels. Dr. Amon Kimeli is a Principal Research Scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), where he has worked since 2010, progressing from Assistant Research Scientist to his current grade. He holds a PhD (Dr. rer. nat) in Geoscience/Geoecology from the University of Bremen, an MSc in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management with a major in Earth Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, and a BSc in Geology from the University of Nairobi. He also has a post-graduate certificate in Ocean mapping and a Category A Hydrography Certificate (FIG/IHO/ICA) from the University of New Hampshire. His research investigates sediment sources, transport, deposition and accretion along the Kenyan coast, and how these processes influence critical habitats such as mangroves under changing sea levels. He is actively involved in shallow- and deep-water bathymetric mapping using singlebeam acoustic data collected aboard RV Mtafiti and satellite-derived remote sensing products, integrating geoscience into ecosystem assessment, marine resource management and Blue Economy planning. Dr. Kimeli has led and co-developed several donor-funded research projects and has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and technical reports on marine geomorphology, sedimentology and satellite-derived bathymetry. He is a member of the General Bathymetry Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO) – Sub-Committee on Undersea Feature Names (SCUFN), Marine Regions Editorial Committee member, Kenya Country Coordinator for the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), and a Professional Member of the Geological Society of Kenya. He regularly mentors early-career researchers and has contributed to national policy processes, including Kenya's State of the Coast Report and the IGAD Blue Economy Strategy. Research & Administrative Responsibility
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Research Collaborations GEBCO • Nippon Foundation • TCarta LLC • Seabed2030 • ESRI • Survey of Kenya • WIOMSA • Map the Gaps • IHO • Dr. Fridtjof Nansen • University of Nairobi • IUCN • TNC • Nekton Foundation • Ocean Research Institute (ORI) • South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) Selected Publications Kimeli et al (2026). Physical Environment. In: Government of Kenya (2026). State of the Coast Report III: Enhancing Sustainable Management of Coastal and Marine Resources in Kenya. National Environment Management Authority, Nairobi, Kenya, 213 pp. Kimeli, A., Makori, M., Kosgei, E., Kariuki, F., Mathai, D., Ngisiang'e, N., Thoya, P. (2025). Geology, Geomorphology and Bathymetry of Kenya's EEZ. In: Kimani E. N., G. M. Okemwa, M. Osore (eds). Surveys of the Kenya Exclusive Economic Zone Fisheries and Environment: Exploring the contribution to the Blue Economy. Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. 194pp. Martin, T., Ferrini, V., Kimeli, A., & Mathai, D. (2025). Addressing Data Scarcity and Filling Gaps: Enhancing Ocean Understanding Through Participatory Seabed Mapping in the Western Indian Ocean Region. Marine Technology Society Journal, 59(2), 22-27. Fennessy, S.T., Everett, B.I., MacKay, C.F. et al., Kimeli, A. and Kische, M. (2025). Overview of the WIO-Benth Project – benthic habitats and megafauna from soft sediments in the Western Indian Ocean. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science SI, 1(2025), pp.01-17. Kimeli, A., Cherono, S., Baya, P., Mathinji, M., Okello, J., Koedam, N., Westphal, H. & Kairo, J. (2022). Surface elevation changes in an estuarine mangrove forest in Vanga, Kenya: Implications for management and mitigation of sea-level rise. Frontiers in Marine Science. Kimeli, A., Cherono, S., Mutisya, B., Tamooh, F., Okello, J., Westphal, H., Koedam, N. & Kairo, J. (2021). Tracing organic matter sources in the estuarine sediments of Vanga, Kenya, and provenance implications. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 263, 107636. Kimeli, A., Ocholla, O., Okello, J., Koedam, N., Westphal, H., & Kairo, J. (2021). Geochemical and petrographic characteristics of sediments along the transboundary (Kenya-Tanzania) Umba River as indicators of provenance and weathering. Open Geosciences, 13(1), 1064-1083. Kimeli, A., Thoya, P., Ngisiang'e, N., Ong'anda, H., & Magori, C. (2018). Satellite-derived bathymetry: A case study of Mombasa Port Channel and its approaches, Kenya. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 17(2), 93-102. Links |
