Freshwater Hub
The Freshwater Hub is an initiative of the Sea Around Us - Indian Ocean. We focus on freshwater catch reconstructions, collaborative research, capacity-building, and training to investigate evidence-based conservation efforts and fisheries impacts in freshwater systems. Our aim is to build partnerships and a Community of Practice dedicated to aquatic ecology and freshwater fisheries for the sustainable management of freshwater resources and ecosystems.
Research
Conducting extensive studies on freshwater ecosystems to assess and monitor ecosystem health and the effects of fisheries. Our key research areas include commercial and non-commercial fisheries and biodiversity monitoring to identify critical freshwater habitats and develop strategies to protect and restore these vital areas.
Training
Supporting university-level programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students in freshwater science. We aim to foster the next generation of experts equipped to promote sustainable practices and contribute to the conservation of aquatic ecosystems.
Impact
Informing decision-making and policy development for the conservation and sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems through comprehensive data and research efforts. Additionally, we engage with local communities and stakeholders to foster stewardship and raise awareness about the importance of freshwater ecosystems.
Dr Wanja Nyingi-Moseti
The Freshwater Hub is led by Dorothy Wanja Nyingi-Moseti (known as Wanja), a freshwater biologist and ichthyologist with over 25 years of freshwater research experience in African freshwater ecosystems. Before joining the Sea Around Us – Indian Ocean, Wanja was the Head of Ichthyology at the National Museums of Kenya and coordinator of the Kenya Wetlands Biodiversity Research Team (KENWEB), a multi-disciplinary team of regional and international scientists specializing in tropical wetlands and aquatic ecosystems. Her extensive research in freshwater fishes led to the publication of Kenya’s first guide to freshwater fishes, earning her a place in the timeline of women in science. She received the Knighthood of the Order of Academic Palms by the Republic of France in 2016 for her work on Fish Biodiversity and Aquatic Ecology. In 2023, a Monogean parasite of cyprinid fishes of Morocco was named in her honour: Gyrodactylus nyingiae n. sp. Wanja received a doctorate of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Montpellier, France in 2007.
Partners and Interested Parties
Western Indian Ocean Deltas Exchange and Research Network
The Nature Conservancy - Africa
Recent Publications
Schubert A, Nyingi W, Tuda P, Aura CM, Obiero K, Manyala J, Cowx IG, Vianna G, Ansell, Meeuwig J, Zeller D (2021) Reconstructing Kenya’s total freshwater fisheries catches: 1950–2017. Marine and Freshwater Research 73(1): 57-70. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF21189
Nyingi, W.D., Agnese, J-F., Ford, A.G.P., Day, J.J., Ndiwa, T.C., Turner, G.F., and Getahun, A. (2021). Identifying and conserving tilapiine cichlid species in the twenty-first century. Pp. 285-312 in: Abate, M.E., Noakes, D.L. (eds) The Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of Cichlid Fishes. Fish & Fisheries Series, vol 40. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2080-7_9
A complete list of publications can be found in Google Scholar
Contact for Partnerships
For more information and opportunities for collaborations and partnership please contact: