Oceans Alive
Healthy Oceans, Healthy Communities
Oceans Alive works with coastal communities, Beach Management Units, government agencies and conservation partners to strengthen fisheries co-management, restore marine ecosystems and build resilient coastal livelihoods in Kenya. Drawing on more than two decades of learning from Kuruwitu, we connect local knowledge, practical conservation, science and policy to support locally led marine stewardship.
Our Story
Two Decades of Impact
20+ years of community-led conservation at Kuruwitu: Oceans Alive was founded in 2016 to scale and support the community-led approach started by the Kuruwitu-CBO in 2003
We work through community institutions and formal co-management structures, in collaboration with government, technical partners and donors. Oceans Alive's role is to facilitate, strengthen capacity, provide technical advice, monitor, mobilise funding, support learning and document lessons - so that coastal communities remain the primary stewards of their marine resources.
Reef Under Co-Management
Corals Out-Planted (Since 2019)
BMUs in Kilifi Network
Communities Replicating Model
School Children Reached
Women in Livelihood Programs
Our Work
All Projects
REEL School Outreach Program
An 18 month coral reef education drive across 50 schools: five original films, an art competition, and a boat trip to Kuruwitu for the learners who understood corals best.
Elasmobranch Awareness & Permaculture
A three phase shark and ray conservation project across four BMUs, growing into permaculture and rainwater harvesting for 40 households in Timboni village.
Conscious Coral Reef Restoration Tourism
Turning a 30 hectare sanctuary's 400% fish recovery into a certified, income generating reef tourism enterprise at Kuruwitu, Kenya's first community marine sanctuary.
Fishing Community Empowerment Academy
Kuruwitu's two decade conservation record turned into a fellowship: training fishing community leaders, women and youth in governance, finance and monitoring.
Ocean Eyes Coral Restoration School Program
Six years, eighteen schools, one Marine Base: a schools programme that pairs classroom lessons with hands on conservation and a student led environmental project.
Ocean 5 Advocacy
A 24 month, $250,000 campaign arming the Kilifi County BMU Network with the evidence, media training and coalitions to push back against illegal trawlers.
Pelorus SHE Trash4Cash Initiative
A women's clean up movement that started with 19 fishmongers at Kuruwitu and rippled to a 35 strong group in Kanamai, guarding a prime turtle nesting beach.
Fisheries Monitoring Capacity, KAMAMKUKI JCMA
A two phase programme turning five Beach Management Units across two counties into a single, evidence led system for monitoring and defending shared fisheries.
REEL Kilifi: Coral Guardian Partnership
Restoring Reef Ecosystems for Enhanced Livelihoods: community-built coral nurseries, fisherman training and youth education across the 12,000-hectare Kuruwitu co-management area.
Blue Ventures: Fisheries Monitoring Capacity
A two-phase project strengthening fisheries monitoring and co-management capacity across five Beach Management Units in the KAMAMKUKI Joint Co-Management Area.