Assistant Director Oceanography & Hydrography Biogeochemistry & Environmental Pollution Pollutant Fate • Nutrient Cycling • Microplastics • Water Quality Email: jkamau@kmfri.co.ke Email: josephkamau@yahoo.com Academic Qualifications PhD – Biogeochemistry
MSc – Environmental Chemistry Current Roles Assistant Director – Oceanography and Hydrography, KMFRI
National Technical Focal Point – FAO Project GCP/GLO/660/NOR
College Member – UKRI International Development Peer Review College
Reviewer – NRF South Africa
Member – Golden Key International Honour Society Research Location & Specialization KMFRI Mombasa
Department: Oceanography and Hydrography
Specialization: Biogeochemistry
Research Interests: Pollutant Fate & Pathway, Nutrient Cycling, Microplastics, Antifouling Agents, Disinfectant By-products (DBP) | Leadership Focus: Advancing understanding of pollutant fate and pathways in marine environments, providing critical research information to assist managers in regulating and managing environmental quality for sustainable ocean ecosystems. Dr. Joseph Nyingi Kamau is a senior scientist and the Assistant Director (Oceanography and Hydrography) at the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Mombasa, Kenya. He is a biogeochemist with a focus on providing research information to assist managers to regulate and manage the environment effectively. His research interest is in establishing the fate and pathway of pollutants in the environment. Dr. Kamau is currently involved in the project entitled "Sustainable Oceans, Livelihoods and Food Security Through Increased Capacity in Ecosystem Research in the Western Indian Ocean (SOLSTICE-WIO)". He reviews projects for NRF South Africa and is a College member of the UKRI International Development Peer Review College. He is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and serves as the National Technical Focal Point for the FAO project GCP/GLO/660/NOR. Dr. Kamau's research contributes to understanding the complex interactions between pollutants and marine ecosystems, providing evidence-based recommendations for environmental management and policy development in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean region. Research Specializations & Interests Biogeochemistry – Pollutant Fate & Pathway Nutrient Cycling in Marine Environments Microplastics – Distribution, Characterization & Toxicity Risk Antifouling Agents – Marine Natural Product Development Disinfectant By-products (DBP) – Water Treatment Assessment Natural Organic Matter (NOM) Characterization Coral Reef Nutrient Pollution (Stable Isotope Approach) Key Research Contributions & Publications Encyclopedia Contributions – Author of chapters on "Elemental Speciation | Overview" and co-author of "Water Analysis | Seawater: Organic Compounds" in the Encyclopedia of Analytical Science (3rd ed., Elsevier 2019). Microplastic Pollution – Co-authored research on occurrence and ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton in Kenya's marine environment – first documented evidence (African Journal of Marine Science 2018). Nutrient Pollution & Coral Bleaching – Co-authored research on evidence of chronic anthropogenic nutrients within coastal lagoon reefs adjacent to urban and tourism centers, Kenya using a stable isotope approach (Marine Pollution Bulletin 2017) and spatial variability of coral bleaching between northern and southern reefs, Kenya (Coastal Marine Science 2017). Heavy Metals in Mangrove Ecosystems – Research on the distribution and fate of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in sewage-impacted mangrove fringed creeks of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique (Journal of Soils and Sediments 2015) and spatial variability of organic carbon mineralization in a sewage-impacted forest, Mikindani Kenya (Journal of Soils and Sediments 2015). Lake Naivasha Studies – Research on seasonal influence on the spatial distribution of dissolved selected metals in Lake Naivasha (Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 2014) and seasonal and spatial variations of labile Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn sediment fractions (Lakes & Reservoirs: Research and Management 2007). Mombasa Creek Studies – Foundational research on heavy metal distribution and enrichment at Port-Reitz Creek (Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science 2002) and heavy metal distribution in sediments along Makupa and Kilindini creeks (Hydrobiologia 2001). Dr. Joseph Kamau's leadership as Assistant Director of Oceanography and Hydrography at KMFRI strengthens the Institute's capacity to understand pollutant dynamics, assess environmental risks, and provide evidence-based recommendations for marine ecosystem management – contributing critical scientific information for the protection of Kenya's coastal and marine environments and the sustainable development of the blue economy. | 
