Dr. Fatuma Mzingirwa

Email: fmzingirwa@kmfri.go.ke

Dr. Fatuma Mzingirwa is a Fisheries Scientist specializing in fish stock assessment, marine biology, value chain analysis, fisheries genomics and metagenomics, and advanced quantitative data analysis in R. Her research addresses critical data deficiencies across both offshore industrial and artisanal coastal fisheries by evaluating species composition, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) dynamics, and the socioeconomic value of target and non-target species.

Throughout her career, Dr. Mzingirwa has played a key technical role in flagship regional and national marine initiatives. These include the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP), the Kenya Coastal Development Project (KCDP), and the Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development Project (KMFSED), where her work has centered on strengthening marine resource governance, empowering coastal communities, and enhancing sustainable exploitation of marine resources.

Her research provides the empirical foundation for evidence-based policy at national and international levels. By delivering robust datasets to key management authorities including the Kenya Fisheries Service (KeFS), the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), and the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC), Dr. Mzingirwa supports the development of sustainable harvest control rules, safeguards local food security, and balances global conservation frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals with sustainable coastal livelihoods under Kenya's Blue Economy strategy.

Additionally, Dr. Mzingirwa serves as the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) Node Manager for Kenya. In this role, she leads efforts to mobilize and publish historical and contemporary marine biodiversity data from Kenyan researchers and academic institutions onto global open-access platforms, including OBIS and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). To further this mission, she recently secured a GBIF grant to mobilize critical habitat data across Kenya, directly providing the spatial and biological baseline needed to inform national marine spatial planning and achieve the global 30x30 conservation targets.

• ▹ Lead and conduct fish stock assessment surveys for key commercial species in Kenya's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
• ▹ Perform genetic and genomic analyses to determine population structure and connectivity of marine fish species
• ▹ Conduct value chain analyses to assess the socioeconomic contribution of fisheries to coastal livelihoods
• ▹ Provide technical expertise to regional fisheries management organizations (IOTC, SWIOFC) on stock status and harvest control rules
• ▹ Serve as OBIS Node Manager for Kenya, mobilizing marine biodiversity data onto global open-access platforms
• ▹ Mentor and supervise postgraduate students and junior researchers in fisheries science and genetics

• ▹ Fish Stock Assessment
• ▹ Value Chain Analysis
• ▹ Fish Biology
• ▹ Metagenomics
• ▹ Fisheries Genomics
• ▹ Quantitative Data Analysis (R)

• ▹ Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Fisheries Science – Rhodes University, South Africa (February 2020 – October 2024)
  Thesis: Fishery characteristics, genetics structure, population demography and value chain of skipjack and kawakawa exploited in coastal waters of the Western Indian Ocean
• ▹ Master of Science (MSc) in Fisheries Management – University of Eldoret, Kenya (May 2011 – December 2013)
  Thesis: Genetic population structure of Crimson job fish Pristipomoides filamentosus (Valenciennes, 1830) in South West Indian Ocean
• ▹ Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences – Moi University, Kenya (August 2006 – April 2010)

• ▹ OBIS Node Manager – Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) for Kenya
• ▹ Member – Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)
• ▹ Member – South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) Working Group on Stock Assessment

• ▹ OBIS Node Manager for Kenya – Leading mobilization and publication of marine biodiversity data onto global open-access platforms (OBIS and GBIF)
• ▹ Member – Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)
• ▹ Member – South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) Working Group on Stock Assessment
• ▹ Provide technical expertise to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) on tuna stock assessments
• ▹ Contribute to national fisheries policy development through the Kenya Fisheries Service (KeFS)