Dr. S (Susan) Sande Okoth

I am an Animal Ecologist with key interest in sustainable management of coastal and marine resources. I am also trained and experienced in counselling and coaching of university students at individual level (15 years) and group level (1 year).

My MSc in Animal Ecology was at Kenyatta University in Kenya and my PhD at University of Pretoia in South Africa. Part of my PhD thesis was an exploration on how to encourage the conservation of a mangrove portion of an endangered coastal forest that is enlisted as an endangered habitat with high endemism, the Arabuko Sokoke in Kenya. Furthermore, my PhD involved bee pollination studies while improving their production of mangrove honey for the livelihood of the local community. The study was in collaboration with the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) during that period. I have also been involved in various studies about soil management practises that boost soil arthropods in small-holder farms in Kenya and supervised many postgraduate students on many other animal ecology related studies.

After working as a lecturer in Kenyatta University for 15years, I  joined Wageningen University in 2016, as a visiting researcher at the chair group Marine Animal Ecology (MAE). I coach students in the Academic Consultancy Training course and I am developing collaborative research between Wageningen University and Kenyatta University. My target is to get a proposal funded for research at the Kenyan coast touching on conservation of mangrove forest and Delta communities and trigger a student exchange program between marine students in both institutions.

Knowledge obtained from my research will equip scientists with more knowledge on adaptation or lack of adaptation of marine animals to changes in their environment and the consequences of each scenario for the species interactions within the community they live in. It will also equip the local communities to better manage natural resources and expand the dismal forest and coral reef communities.