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Open Research Data

Kenya's aquatic data, open to the world

KMFRI maintains Kenya's most comprehensive open repository of fisheries, marine, freshwater, and aquaculture data — collected across 45 years of continuous field monitoring, frame surveys, trawl assessments, and environmental observation.

Browse Datasets Fisheries Dashboards
340+
Open Datasets
45
Years of Records
18
Monitored Fisheries
12K+
Data Downloads / Year
Data Products

Four ways to access KMFRI data

From raw datasets to interactive dashboards and spatial planning tools — every KMFRI data product is designed for a specific use case, from academic research to policy analysis to on-the-ground aquaculture planning.

Open Data Catalog

340+ datasets — fisheries, marine, freshwater, aquaculture

KMFRI's primary open data repository. Includes catch assessment surveys, frame surveys from 47 landing beaches, oceanographic profiles, water quality time series, biodiversity inventories, and aquaculture trial data. All datasets carry DOIs and are downloadable in CSV, NetCDF, and shapefile formats.

Recent additions
Lake Victoria Frame Survey 2024 — Landing Beach Data CSV · 14 MB
Kenya EEZ Oceanographic Profiles Q3 2024 NetCDF · 88 MB
Mombasa Marine Park Reef Survey 2023–2024 CSV · 6 MB
Marine Freshwater Aquaculture Socioeconomics
Updated weekly · CC BY 4.0 Browse Catalog

Fisheries Dashboards

Live stock status, catch trends, and effort indicators

Interactive dashboards presenting KMFRI's annual fisheries assessments as visual intelligence tools. Track stock status across Kenya's 18 monitored fisheries, compare catch per unit effort over time, monitor landing beach activity, and access the latest frame survey results — updated after each annual assessment cycle.

Kenya Fisheries Status — 2024
L. Victoria Nile Tilapia Healthy
Indian Ocean Demersal Caution
Coastal Octopus Fishery Recovering
Marine Freshwater
Updated annually · Q4 2024 View Dashboards

Interactive Maps

SAWA aquaculture suitability & spatial planning

KMFRI's Spatial Aquaculture Website for Africa (SAWA) provides county-level aquaculture site suitability maps covering pond, cage, and mariculture systems across Kenya. Filter by species, water source, land use constraints, and infrastructure access. Additional spatial layers include fishing ground boundaries, protected area boundaries, and oceanographic zones.

Kenya Aquaculture Suitability
Aquaculture Freshwater Marine
47 counties covered · 2024 Open SAWA Maps

Data Downloads

Bulk access, API, and restricted data requests

Download individual datasets directly from the catalog, or submit a data access request for large bulk downloads, restricted-access data (unpublished survey data, GPS track logs, individual-level socioeconomic data), or API integration for dashboards and research pipelines. Institutional data sharing agreements are available for long-term partners.

Available formats
CSV
Tabular data
NetCDF
Ocean / atmos.
SHP
Spatial data
JSON
API / web
XLSX
Spreadsheet
API
REST endpoint
Bulk Access API Restricted Data
Avg. response: 3 business days Request Data
Annual Stock Assessment

Kenya's fisheries status, updated every year

KMFRI conducts annual stock assessments across 18 monitored fisheries — integrating frame survey data from 47 landing beaches, acoustic trawl surveys on Lake Victoria, demersal trawl surveys in the Indian Ocean, and longline catch data from artisanal fishers. Results are published every Q4 and feed directly into government fisheries management advice.

Healthy — within sustainable limits
Caution — approaching limit reference point
Critical — below limit reference point
Recovering — improving under management
Kenya Fisheries Status — Q4 2024
Lake Victoria Nile Tilapia
Freshwater Healthy
Lake Victoria Nile Perch
Freshwater Healthy
Indian Ocean Demersal Fishery
Marine Caution
Coastal Octopus Fishery
Marine Recovering
Lake Turkana Nile Tilapia
Freshwater Healthy
Kenya EEZ Pelagic Fishery
Marine Caution
View Full Dashboard — 18 Fisheries →
Lake Victoria Annual Catch (tonnes '000) — KMFRI Frame Survey
Nile Tilapia — Kenyan Waters

Source: KMFRI Catch Assessment Programme. Annual frame surveys at 47 landing beaches. Updated Q4 annually.

Download Dataset →
Open Data Policy

Our commitment to open science

KMFRI follows FAIR data principles — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable — as a member of OBIS, IODE, and the African Open Science Platform.

Findable

Every KMFRI dataset carries a persistent DOI, is registered with DataCite, and is indexed in GBIF, OBIS, and the Kenya Open Data Portal. Metadata follows Darwin Core and ISO 19115 standards for maximum discoverability.

Standards: Darwin Core · ISO 19115 · DataCite

Accessible

Core datasets are freely downloadable without registration under CC BY 4.0. A data access request process is available for restricted data. A REST API provides programmatic access to KMFRI's time series and spatial datasets.

Licence: CC BY 4.0 · API available

Interoperable

KMFRI data is published in open formats — CSV, NetCDF, GeoJSON, and Darwin Core Archive — compatible with standard analytical tools. Fisheries data uses ICES and FAO data exchange standards for seamless integration with global assessment frameworks.

Formats: CSV · NetCDF · GeoJSON · DwCA

Reusable

All datasets include comprehensive methodology documentation, calibration records, and collection protocols so users can accurately interpret and reuse the data. Provenance is tracked and published alongside each dataset version.

Versioned · Methodology documented · Provenance tracked

Quality assured

KMFRI datasets undergo internal peer review, automated range and consistency checks, and cross-validation against independent sources before publication. Data quality flags are included in all distributed files. Errors are corrected with transparent versioning.

Peer reviewed · QC flags included

Globally connected

KMFRI contributes data to OBIS, GBIF, the IOC-UNESCO IODE network, and the African Biodiversity Information Facility. Kenya's fisheries data is shared with LVFO, SWIOFISH, and IOTC for transboundary and regional stock assessments.

Member: OBIS · GBIF · IODE · LVFO · IOTC
Catalog

Recently added datasets

View Full Catalog
Dataset
Theme
Updated
Format
Access
Lake Victoria Frame Survey 2024 — All Species, 47 Landing Beaches KMFRI Catch Assessment Programme · DOI: 10.5281/kmfri.2024.lv01
Freshwater
Dec 2024
CSV · XLSX
Download
Kenya EEZ Oceanographic CTD Profiles 2024 — RV Mtafiti Survey KMFRI Oceanography Program · DOI: 10.5281/kmfri.2024.ctd01
Marine
Nov 2024
NetCDF
Download
Mombasa & Malindi Marine Parks Reef Fish Survey 2023–2024 KMFRI Marine Ecology Program · DOI: 10.5281/kmfri.2024.reef01
Marine
Oct 2024
CSV · SHP
Download
Sangoro ARS Nile Tilapia Broodstock Performance Trials 2024 KMFRI Aquaculture Program · DOI: 10.5281/kmfri.2024.aq01
Aquaculture
Oct 2024
CSV
Download
Gazi Bay Mangrove Carbon Stock Assessment 2024 KMFRI Coastal Ecology Program · DOI: 10.5281/kmfri.2024.mangrove01
Marine
Sep 2024
CSV · SHP
Download
Small-Scale Fisheries Socioeconomic Survey — Coast Region 2023 KMFRI Socioeconomics Program · DOI: 10.5281/kmfri.2023.socio01
Socioeconomics
Aug 2024
CSV · XLSX
Download
Showing 6 of 340+ datasets View All Datasets →

KMFRI data feeds global science networks

Kenya's aquatic data contributes to the world's leading open biodiversity, oceanographic, and fisheries information systems — making KMFRI's field observations globally reusable.

OBIS GBIF IOC-UNESCO IODE FAO FishStat LVFO IOTC AOSP DataCite

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