People
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Dr. Rajeev Raghavan (Group Leader)Rajeev is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Fisheries Resource Management at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS). His team studies tropical aquatic biodiversity, answering both fundamental and applied questions on species, ecosystems and human dimensions. Rajeev is actively involved with the work of the IUCN SSC and is currently the South Asia Coordinator of the Freshwater Fish Specialist Group and the Freshwater Fish Red List Authority Coordinator for Asia/Oceania, besides being an invited member on several Specialist Groups and Interdisciplinary Task Forces. He has to his credit around 140+ publications in the peer reviewed literature. |
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Unmesh Katwate (PhD student)
Thesis title: Systematics and evolution of small barbs (family: cyprinidae) of the Western Ghats Keywords: Puntius, Dawkinsia, Pethia, Taxonomy, Anatomy, Haludaria |
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Anoop VK (PhD student)Thesis title: Taxonomy and biogeography of the Western Ghats hillstream loach genus, Mesonoemacheilus Keywords: Nemacheilus, Schistura, Molecular Phylogenetics, Evolution, Biogeography Funding: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies & Kerala State Biodiversity Board |
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Akshaya A (PhD student)Thesis title: Systematic conservation planning and identification of freshwater protected areas Keywords: Key Biodiversity Areas, Ecological Niche Modeling, Western Ghats Funding: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies |
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Arya Sidharthan (PhD student)Thesis title: Molecular ecology of balitorid loaches of Western Ghats Keywords: Bhavania, Western Ghats, Waterfalls, Geological Barriers, Phylogeography Funding: Kerala State Biodiversity Board |
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Ramvilas Ghosh (Co-supervised PhD student)Thesis title: Taxonomy, phylogenetics and evolution of gorgonians of the Central Indian Ocean. Keywords: Coral Reefs, Soft Corals, Sea Fan, Lakshadweep, Taxonomy, Island Theory, Biogeography Funding: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies; Mohammed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, PADI Foundation & Rufford Small Grants for Conservation |
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Shalu Kannan (Co-supervised PhD student)Thesis title: Taxonomy and conservation of syngnathid fishes. Keywords: Seahorse, Pipefish, Trade, Artisanal Fisheries, By Catch, DNA Barcoding Funding: CSIR-UGC Junior Research Fellowship |
Remya L Sundar (Project Fellow)Keywords: Vembanad Lake, Inland Fisheries, Fish Taxonomy Funding: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies |
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Sreesha Gadadharan (Visiting PhD student)PhD student – Bharathiar University (2018-2021) Keywords: Killifishes, Aplocheilus, Taxonomy, Biogeography, Evolution, Western Ghats, Systematics |
Sruthy Mol (Masters student)Master of Fisheries Science/MFSc Student (2018-2020) Thesis title: Diversity, distribution and ecology of clupeiform larvae in the Azhikode estuary |
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Ashna Shanmughan (Masters student)Master of Fisheries Science/MFSc Student (2018-2020) Thesis title: Habitat use and population characteristics of anguillid eels |
Previous Members
Rahul Rajan (Master of Fisheries Science/MFSc, 2018-2019)
Seethalakshmi Sanil (Master of Fisheries Science/MFSc, 2018-2019) – currently Executive Assistant at the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad
Mubarak M (Master of Fisheries Science/MFSc, 2017-2018) – currently PhD candidate at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi
Shubra Singh (Visiting MFSc Student 2018 – Master of Fisheries Science in Fish Genetics, Central Institute of Fisheries Education/CIFE, Mumbai, October 2018)
Sanniya Sekhar (Intern – August/September 2018 – Master of Science in Biodiversity & Ecosystem Management, University of Camerino, Italy)
Anju CV (Master of Science in Marine Biology, 2016-2018)
Eldho PS (Master of Fisheries Science/MFSc, 2016-2017) – currently PhD candidate at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi
Sangeetha Nair (Visiting PhD Student, Central Institute of Fisheries Education/CIFE, Mumbai, February/March 2017) – currently Scientist at the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Barrackpore
Parul Gurjar (Visiting PhD Student, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, December 2016)
Rufus T (Master of Fisheries Science/MFSc, 2015-2016) – currently Research Fellow at the Centre for Marine Living Resource and Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi
Swathy KS (Master of Science in Biological Oceanography and Biodiversity, 2015-2016) – currently PhD candidate at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi
Richu A (Master of Science in Biological Oceanography and Biodiversity, 2015-2016)
Collaborators
We believe that success in science comes through collaboration and therefore much of our research is born and progress through joint effort. We work with some of the best minds in the subject from over 20 institutions in six countries.
Neelesh Dahanukar, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India
Siby Philip, Department of Zoology, Nirmalagiri College, Kannur, India
Anvar Ali, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi, India
Sanjay Molur, Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO), Coimbatore, India
Bijukumar A, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, India
Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum (NHM), London, United Kingdom
Steven J. Cooke, Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Jörg Freyhof, Leibinz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
Ranjeet K, Department of Fishery Hydrography, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi, India
Arun Kanagavel, Conservation Research Group, St. Albert’s College, Kochi, India
Unmesh Katwate, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai, India
Adrian C. Pinder, University of Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom
Michael F. Tlusty, New England Aquarium (NEAq), Boston, United States of America
Shijo Joseph, Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur, India
Binoy V.V, National Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore, India
P.O. Nameer, Center for Wildlife Studies, Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Thrissur, India
Josin Tharian, Department of Zoology, St. John’s College, Anchal, India
Scott Dowd, New England Aquarium (NEAq), Boston, United States of America
Suresh Kumar, Department of Fishery Hydrography, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi, India
Shannon D Bower, Department of Earth Science, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, Uppsala University, Sweden
Benno Pereira, Department of Zoology, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
Nadeem Qadri, The Nature University, Srinagar, India
Nikhil Sood, India Gills, Bangalore, India
D.B. Gurung, College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, Lobesa, Bhutan
Derek D’souza, International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) and Mahseer Trust