Derrick Omollo
PhD Candidate
Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre
Deakin University, Burwood campus
221 Burwood Hwy, VIC 3125
Derrick's research
Derrick is an early-career conservation scientist with 8 years of experience in the field of marine science and management. He uses his research background in wetland ecology and vegetation biology to inform management and conservation of vegetated marine ecosystems. Derrick’s past research has focused on demonstrating how oceans could provide a natural solution to climate change by quantifying carbon stocks and sequestration rates in seagrass and mangrove ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean. Derrick worked for the Nature Conservancy where he was managing a multi- stakeholder project including government, community groups and private sector to Strengthen management of mangrove ecosystems in Lamu and Tana River Counties. He also led restoration activities in Kenya which was one of 15 TNCs global prototyping projects which seeks to accelerate Innovative and Equitable Natural Climate Solutions by sharing lessons and filling knowledge gaps. His research is aligned with the goal to attain triple benefit for climate, biodiversity and people as well as attainment of sustainable development goals 6,7,13 and14.
Keywords
Restoration, Carbon accounting, Marine ecology
Career Highlights
- Blue Carbon Fellow of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT,2024)
- Africa Blue Carbon Officer: The Nature Conservancy (2023- 2024)
- Global Thinker’s Forum; Telemachus and Athena Fellow (2023)
- Country coordinator- Western Indian Ocean Early Career Scientists Network (WIOECSN): (2021- Date)
- Project management Intern- Brainnest consulting, Germany (2022)
- Research associate – Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI): (2019- 2021)
- MSc Biology of conservation – The University of Nairobi, Kenya (2018-2022
- Volunteer: Mikoko Pamoja Community Based Organization (2016-Dec 2021)
- BSc. Coastal and Marine Resource Management – Kenyatta University, Kenya. (2012 – 2016)
Research awards and grants
- Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR-MD) (2022)
- Society for Conservation biology (SCB) small grants program (2021)
- Marine Research Grant (MARG1) of Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) (2021)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) – research grant (2020)
- MARG III travel grant of WIOMSA (2018)
- Eva Maria Koch student award by World Seagrass Association (WSA) (2018)
Selected Publications
Omollo, D.J.; Wang’ondu, V.W.; Githaiga, M.N.; Gorman, D.; Kairo, J.G. The Contribution of Subtidal Seagrass Meadows to the Total Carbon Stocks of Gazi Bay, Kenya. Diversity 2022, 14, 646.
UN Ocean Decade Booklet for the African Continent. Coordinating Lead author of Ocean Decade Challenge 6.
Conference proceedings
10-15th October 2022: 12th Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Scientific Symposium. Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.
8th August-12th August 2022: World Seagrass Conference and International seagrass biology workshop. Chesapeake Bay, Maryland USA.
17th August – 28 August 2020: Sixth International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC6). Kiel, Germany. – Poster presentation
11th to 18th June 2018: World seagrass conference and 13th seagrass biology workshop, held at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore. – poster presentation
31st OCT-4th NOV 2017: 10th Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Symposium (WIOMSA), held at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, Dar es Salaam Tanzania- poster presentation.
