Adelaida Kleti Semesi, also Adelaide K. Semesi (1951 – 6 February 2001),[1] was a Tanzanian ecologist, who was Professor of Marine Biology at the
University of Dar es Salaam. Known for her work on
mangrove ecology, Semesi was the first woman to be a professor in the field of natural sciences in Tanzania.
Education
Semesi was born in 1951 in
Haubi, Tanzania.[2] She graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam with a BSc in 1975,[2] followed by a PhD from the same institution in 1979.[3]
Career
Semesi's teaching career began in 1975 as
teaching assistant, rising to professor by the time of her death.[2] In 1982 she began a programme of research into
seaweed cultivation in
Zanzibar; its application resulted in greater investment in the industry providing a wider range of employment, especially for women.[2] Her work on mangrove ecology began in 1990, which resulted in Tanzania being one of the first countries to have an environmental management plan for mangroves.[1] She was also an advocate for orally transmitted
indigenous scientific knowledge, and its practice within communities, especially relating to agricultural practices.[4]
Semesi was Tanzania's first female professor in the field of natural sciences.[6] Despite wider
discrimination against women in science, she was recognised with international awards.[8] These included a Fulbright Scholarship to the
University of South Florida in 1982, where she undertook a research project entitled "Analysis of Certain Marine
Phycocolloids".[9] She was the recipient in 1992 of a
Pew Trust Fellowship, which she used to undertake a major study on the
Bagamoyo area, incorporating marine sources, socio-economic statistics and other factors.[7]
At the time of her death, Semesi was Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University of Dar es Salaam.[10] She died on 6 February 2001.[1] Her death was described in Pwani Yetu: The Newsletter of the Tanzania Coastal Management Partnership as a "great misfortune for marine conservation".[10]
Marine Plants of Tanzania: A field guide to the seaweeds and seagrasses of Tanzania by Eurico C. Oliveira, Katrin Österlund and Matern S. P. Mtolera was dedicated to Semesi's life and work.[2]
Collen, J., M. Mtolera, K. Abrahamsson, A. Semesi and M. Pedersen. 1995. Farming and physiology of the red algae Eucheuma: Growing commercial importance in East Africa. Ambio 24(7): 497-450
Mtolera, M.S.P., J. Collen and A.K. Semesi. 1995. Destructive hydrogen peroxide production in Eucheuma denticulatum (Rhodophyta) during stress caused by elevated pH, high light intensities and competition with other species. olera, M.S.P., J. Collen and A.K. Semesi. 1995. Destructive hydrogen peroxide production in Eucheuma denticulatum 30(4): 289
Semesi A.K. 1993. Wetlands of sub-saharan Africa, their relevance and management. Proceedings of the conference on water and environment: Key to Africa's Development 151-164
Engdahl, S., F. Mamboya, M. Mtolera, A. Semesi and M. Björk. 1998. The brown macroalgae Pakina boergesenii as an indicator of heavy metal contamination in the Zanzibar Channel. Ambio 27(8): 694-700
Semesi, A.K. 1998. Coastal resources utilization and conservation issues in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Ambio 27(8): 635-644
Semesi, A.K. 1998. Mangrove management and utilization in Eastern Africa. Ambio 27(8): 620-626
Mtolera, M.S.P., J. Collen and A.K. Semesi. 1996. Stressed-induced production of volatile halogenated organic compounds in Eucheuma denticulatum (Rhodophyta) caused by elevated pH and high light intensities. European Journal of Phycology 31(1): 91
Bjork, M., S.M. Mohammed and A. Semesi. 1995. Coralline algae, important coral-reef builders threatened by pollution. Ambio 24(7): 502