The marine environment in the Western Indian Ocean is exceptionally bio-diverse including habitats such as mangrove forests, beautiful sandy beaches, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. They are also exceptionally threatened by coastal development, climate change, and fishing pressure. A Rocha Kenya works in Watamu Marine Park to understand the status and processes impacting marine biodiversity of these habitats.
Our current research projects include:
Volunteering
We seek volunteers who are willing to get immersed in all tasks and work in a cross-cultural situation, recognising that marine habitats have intrinsic value, and we can bring healing to the ocean and those who depend upon it.
Donate
Do you have snorkelling or SCUBA gear lying around the house gather dust?
We can put it to good use. The snorkelling kit at Mwamba needs to be replaced so that we can introduce visitors, local leaders, and school groups to the wonder of God’s creation underwater.
Please contact us via the Mwamba Guest House with what you have and where you live and we’ll be in touch.
Tel: +254 (0)20 233 5865 OR
Coral reefs are some of the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on earth. Under extreme environmental conditions like alteration in the sea surface temperature the intracellular zooxanthellae are expelled by the coral polyp as a stress response which makes it appear white. The white, unhealthy corals called bleached corals become weak and eventually die due to the heat stress.
Marine Governance is the work at the intersection of biodiversity conservation and sustaining human activities dependent on Marine Protected Areas. A Rocha Kenya is working closely with Kenya Wildlife Service to identify and address issues of governance for the Watamu MPA in partnership with the University of St. Andrews. In addition A Rocha International, A Rocha Ghana and Natiora Ahy (Madagascar) have also been part of the overall project.
Microplastics are plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter. In the last four decades, concentrations of these particles appear to have increased significantly in the oceans. There are two types of sources of microplastics; primary and secondary.
Sluka, R. D. 2012. Hope for the Ocean: Marine Biodiversity, Poverty Alleviation and Blessing the Nations. Grove Books Limited, Cambridge. 28pp.
A Rocha Kenya Conservation Research Reports
Kristel S.S. van Houte-Howes. 2005. Macroinvertebrate communities in intertidal mudflats at the Sabaki River Estuary, Kenya: An important habitat for resident and migratory shore birds A Rocha Kenya Occasional Research Report #7. 5pp
Peter Musembi, Martine Koemans and Jack Kamire. 2014. Rockpool Tourism in Watamu Marine National Park. A Rocha Kenya Conservation & Science Occasional Research Report #33. 8pp.
Peter Musembi and Benjamin Cowburn. 2014. Diversity and abundance of coral-associated fish in Acroporid and Pocilloporid corals of Watamu Marine National Park, Kenya. A Rocha Kenya Conservation & Science Occasional Research Report #34. 12pp.