Research 

Research Interest:

• Ecology, Ecotoxicology and stress Physiology: Understanding the ecology of aquatic fauna and freshwater environments and impacts of pollution and environmental change on aquatic fauna. Impact of environmental stressors on fish physiology/health.

• Ecological and Species Distribution Modelling: Interested in the development of new mathematical models and systems analysis for describing ecological processes, and species distribution (current and future prediction) and novel applications of models for environmental management and conservation of biodiversity. 

• Molecular systematics and Diversity: Understanding how genotype, phenotype and ecology work together to create the extraordinary diversity we experience in the aquatic environment that surrounds us.

• Functional morphology and evolution: Comprehension the functional morphology and evolution of fishes to understand how organisms respond to environment change.

Publications:

• Kumkar, P., Verma, C. R., Hýsek, Š., Pise, M., Źółtowska, S., Gosavi, S. M., ... & Kalous, L. (2023). Contaminants and their ecological risk assessment in beach sediments and water along the Maharashtra coast of India: A comprehensive approach using microplastics, heavy metal (loid) s, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and plasticizers. Science of The Total Environment, 164712, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164712 

• Verma, C. R., Gosavi, S. M., Pise, M., Kalous, L., & Kumkar, P. (2023) Effect of diethyl phthalate on predator–prey chemo-ecology in Lepidocephalichthys thermalis, Aquatic Ecology, 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-023-10031-z  

• Verma, C. R., Pise, M., Kumkar, P., Gosavi, S. M. & Kalous, L.(2022) Microplastic Contamination in Ulhas River Flowing Through India’s Most Populous Metropolitan Area, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 233(12), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-022-05968-0 

• Verma, C. R., Kumkar, P., Khare, T., Pise, M., Kalous, L., & Dahanukar, N. (2022) Contracaecum nematode parasites in hillstream loaches of the Western Ghats, India, Journal of Fish Diseases, 00, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.13711 

• Kumkar, P., Pise, M., Verma, C. R., Khare, T., Petrtýl, M. & Kalous, L. (2022) Micro-contaminant, but immense impact: Source and influence of diethyl phthalate plasticizer on bottom-dwelling fishes, Chemosphere, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135563  

• Pise, M., Gosavi, S. M., Gorule, P. A., Verma, C. R., Kharat, S. S., Kalous, L., & Kumkar, P. (2022) Osteological description of Indian lepidophagous catfish Pachypterus khavalchor (Siluriformes: Horabagridae) from the Western Ghats of India, Journal of Vertebrate Biology, 71, 22021 https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.22021 

• Kumkar, P., Pise, M., Verma, C. R. & Kalous, L. (2021) Sand extraction for growing cities destroying habitat for benthic fishes: a case study from northern Western Ghats, India. in Kubík & Barták (ed) Proceedings of the 13th Workshop on Biodiversity, Jevany (18-26). 

• Verma, C. R., Kumkar, P., Pise, M. & Kalous, L. (2021) Shelter or Danger? Benthic fishes hiding behind plastic waste. in Kubík & Barták (ed) Proceedings of the 13th Workshop on Biodiversity, Jevany (71-79).

• Kumkar, P., Pise, M., Gorule, P., Verma, C. R., Kalous, L., (2021) Two new species of the hillstream loach genus Indoreonectes from the northern Western Ghats of India (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae), Vertebrate Zoology, 71, 517 https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e62814   

• Kumkar, P., Gosavi, S., Verma, C. R., Pise, M., Kalous, L., (2021) Big eyes can't see microplastics: Feeding selectivity and eco-morphological adaptations in oral cavity affect microplastic uptake in mud-dwelling amphibious mudskipper fish, Science of the Total Environment, 786, 147445 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147445  

• Gosavi, S. M., Verma, C. R., Kharat S. Pise, M & Kumkar, P. (2019) Structural adequacy of the digestive tract supports duel feeding habit in catfish Pachypterus khavalchor (Siluriformes: Horabagridae), Acta Histochemica, 121 (4), 437-449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acthis.2019.03.006   

• Gorule, P, Pise, M, Kharat, S, Tapkir, S, Londhe, P, Sarkar, S, & Gosavi, S. M., (2019) Length–weight relationships of nine freshwater fishes from six rivers of the Western Ghats of India, Journal of Applied Ichthyology; 00: 1– 3. https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13887   

• Pise, M, Gorule, P, Kharat, S, Tapkir, S, Verma, C.R, Kumkar,P, & Gosavi, S. M., (2018)  Length-weight relationships of four freshwater fishes from northern Western Ghats of India, Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 34 (6), 1394-1396. https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13820 

Projects:

Extra-curricular voluntary research (2016 – till date) 

• DNA barcoding of freshwater fishes of West flowing rivers in the Western Ghats of India.

• Comparative digestive physiology and skeletal morphology of carnivorous and herbivorous fishes of Western Ghats of India.. 

• Detection and identification of microplastics and its effect on the aquatic fauna. 

• Growth pattern analysis of freshwater fishes of northern Western Ghats of India.

Volunteer in research project  (2017 – till date)

• Molecular diversity and adaptations in the freshwater fishes of the genus Indoreonectes from northern Western Ghats of India.

Master of Science project thesis (2015-2016)

• Morphometric and histological study of planaria, Girardia species.

Conferences/Workshops:

Poster Presentation at International Level:

• Pise M., Verma C., Kumkar P. & Dahanukar N. (2019) Evolution of adhesive structure in altitudinal migrant loach Indoreonectes evezardi (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) in Book of abstracts, Aquatic Ecosystems: Sustainability and Conservation, a national conference on aquatic conservation organized by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune on 20th and 21st December 2019, p, 79.

• Gosavi S., Pise, M., Kumkar, P. & Kharat, S. (2018) Assessing the sustainability of data-deficient lepidophagous catfish and its implications for conservation. In Book of Abstracts, International Biodiversity Congress (IBC 2018), Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, 4-6 October 2018, Pp. 476.

Conferences/Workshop/Certificate Course:

• Participated in State Level Symposium on "Scope and Hope of Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine" at Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune Maharashtra, India.

• Participated in National Conference on 'Faunal Diversity: Assessment and Conservation' FDAC-2016 at Modern College Ganeshkhind, Pune, India.

• Participated in University Level Workshop on 'Biomolecular Techniques' at Sinhgad College of Science, Pune India.

• Participated in International Conference On 'Application of advanced Technology for Enhancing Quality of Science Education' at Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Shivajinagar, Pune India.

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