I am a marine cryobiologist and ecologist, passionate about the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity through cryopreservation. My research currently focuses on the use of cryopreservation methods to preserve marine microalgae that are facing a threat to their habitats through climate change and rising ocean temperatures. I specialise in marine dinoflagellates, particularly the species that belong to the Family Symbiodiniaceae that are associated symbiotically with corals and other marine invertebrates.
EDUCATION
2020 – 2024 PhD, Ecology and Biodiversity, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
2016 – 2018 MSc Biology [Molecular, Immuno- and Microbiology], University of Szeged, Hungary
2008 – 2012 Bachelor of Education (Science), Moi University, Kenya
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Ecology, Molecular Biology, Conservation
41
Scholar Citations
3
Scholar h-index
2
Scholar i10-index
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Microbial adaptations to acidic, nutrient-and metal-rich lakes in Aotearoa New Zealand L Biessy, J Sissons, JK Kihika, SA Wood, JK Pearman Extremophiles 29 (2), 24 , 2025 2025.0
Microbial biodiversity and metabolic functioning in sediments of coastal dune lakes on a remote island JK Pearman, J Sissons, JK Kihika, G Thomson-Laing, SA Wood Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 9, e144128 , 2025 2025.0
Fatty acid production and associated gene pathways are altered by increased salinity and dimethyl sulfoxide treatments during cryopreservation of Symbiodinium pilosum … JK Kihika, JK Pearman, SA Wood, LL Rhodes, KF Smith, MR Miller, ... Cryobiology 114, 104855 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 2
Developments in the Cryopreservation of Marine Dinoflagellates J Kihika Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington , 2024 2024.0
Cryopreservation of diverse symbiodiniaceae species: fatty acid profiles, growth and photosynthetic performance J Kihika, S Wood, L Rhodes, K Smith, M Miller, X Pochon, L Thompson, ... Cryobiology 113, 104669 , 2023 2023.0
Assessment of the recovery and photosynthetic efficiency of Breviolum psygmophilum and Effrenium voratum (Symbiodiniaceae) following cryopreservation JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, J Butler, KG Ryan PeerJ 11, e14885 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 5
Cryopreservation of six Symbiodiniaceae genera and assessment of fatty acid profiles in response to increased salinity treatments JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, MR Miller, X Pochon, ... Scientific Reports 12 (1), 12408 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 17
Cryoprotectant treatment tests on three morphologically diverse marine dinoflagellates and the cryopreservation of Breviolum sp. (Symbiodiniaceae) JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, L Thompson, S Challenger, ... Scientific Reports 12 (1), 646 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 17
Cryopreservation of diverse Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates: Assessment of their fatty acid profiles in response to increased salinity treatments JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, X Pochon, L Thompson, ... Elsevier , 2022 2022.0
Cryoprotectant treatment and cryopreservation of the marine dinoflagellate Breviolum sp. JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, L Thompson, S Challenger, ... 19th International Conference on Harmful Algae, 40 , 0
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Cryopreservation of six Symbiodiniaceae genera and assessment of fatty acid profiles in response to increased salinity treatments JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, MR Miller, X Pochon, ... Scientific Reports 12 (1), 12408 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 17
Cryoprotectant treatment tests on three morphologically diverse marine dinoflagellates and the cryopreservation of Breviolum sp. (Symbiodiniaceae) JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, L Thompson, S Challenger, ... Scientific Reports 12 (1), 646 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 17
Assessment of the recovery and photosynthetic efficiency of Breviolum psygmophilum and Effrenium voratum (Symbiodiniaceae) following cryopreservation JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, J Butler, KG Ryan PeerJ 11, e14885 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 5
Fatty acid production and associated gene pathways are altered by increased salinity and dimethyl sulfoxide treatments during cryopreservation of Symbiodinium pilosum … JK Kihika, JK Pearman, SA Wood, LL Rhodes, KF Smith, MR Miller, ... Cryobiology 114, 104855 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 2
Microbial adaptations to acidic, nutrient-and metal-rich lakes in Aotearoa New Zealand L Biessy, J Sissons, JK Kihika, SA Wood, JK Pearman Extremophiles 29 (2), 24 , 2025 2025.0
Microbial biodiversity and metabolic functioning in sediments of coastal dune lakes on a remote island JK Pearman, J Sissons, JK Kihika, G Thomson-Laing, SA Wood Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 9, e144128 , 2025 2025.0
Developments in the Cryopreservation of Marine Dinoflagellates J Kihika Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington , 2024 2024.0
Cryopreservation of diverse symbiodiniaceae species: fatty acid profiles, growth and photosynthetic performance J Kihika, S Wood, L Rhodes, K Smith, M Miller, X Pochon, L Thompson, ... Cryobiology 113, 104669 , 2023 2023.0
Cryopreservation of diverse Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates: Assessment of their fatty acid profiles in response to increased salinity treatments JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, X Pochon, L Thompson, ... Elsevier , 2022 2022.0
Cryoprotectant treatment and cryopreservation of the marine dinoflagellate Breviolum sp. JK Kihika, SA Wood, L Rhodes, KF Smith, L Thompson, S Challenger, ... 19th International Conference on Harmful Algae, 40 , 0
