Nyawira Muthiga

Nyawìra A. Mūthìga is an African conservation zoologist who is Director of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association Marine Programme in Kenya. She is a conservation scientist for the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Early life and education Mūthìga was born in Kenya, and spent part of her childhood in Dar es Salaam. She earned her undergraduate degree in biological oceanography in the United States. She completed her master's degree at the Florida State University, where she studied the impact of salinity on the photosynthesis of Siderastrea siderea. Mūthìga returned to Kenya for her doctoral research, where she joined the University of Nairobi.

Research and career In 2000 Mūthìga was elected president of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association board of trustees (WIOMSA). She oversaw the growth of the WIOMSA internationally, building local chapters and networks. Mūthìga worked for the Kenya Wildlife Service where she led the coastal and wetland programme. In this capacity, Mūthìga was made of Chair of the Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation programme. She has worked to survey hundreds of different coral reefs on the Western Indian Ocean.

Mūthìga was a founder of the Wildlife Conservation Society coral reef programme, which researches and deploys programmes that can conserve coral reefs, as well as identifying novel ways to allow critical species to recover. The programme helps to protect 90% of the world's coral species and has surveyed almost 1,000 sites across the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean Sea. In 2007 Mūthìga joined the World Commission on Protected Areas as the Kenya coordinator. She believes that the orange-lined triggerfish may play a crucial role in maintaining health corals.

Mūthìga was awarded the 2018 Banovich Wildscapes Foundation Award for Conservation Excellence (ACE) for her work on ocean conservation.

Awards and honours 2005 National Geographic Society/Buffett Award for Leadership 2018 Award for Conservation Excellence

Personal life Mūthìga is married to American marine biologist Timothy McClanahan.

Selected publications