Hellen Kizenga

Hellen J. Kizenga is an early career marine scientist from the Western Indian Ocean and an assistant lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She holds a BSc in Microbiology and a Master’s degree in Marine Sciences from the University of Dar es Salaam. She is currently attending an NF-POGO Centre of Excellence Observational Oceanography Course at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany.

Her research is based on marine and coastal resources, mainly focusing on primary productivity (phytoplankton) and small pelagic fish species. In her research, she is interested in applying remote sensing, in-situ observations, and social sciences in ensuring that science collaborates with traditional knowledge for the generation of concrete information on the sustainability of marine and coastal resources. Her passion for applying remote sensing in marine and coastal resources contributed to her collaboration with the SOLSTICE project. This project has been key to boosting her career as an early career scientist from a developing region - through training on using remote sensing products, analysis, and manuscript production.

Her memorable experience is meeting and working with a very committed, hardworking oceanography expert, Dr. Fatma Jebri from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, UK, who has continued to be a great mentor to this day. The SOLSTICE project overall has contributed highly to building the capacity of young scientists in the Western Indian Ocean region especially in the field of oceanography.