​I am a marine biologist and have a broad interest in marine ecology but primarily interested in the interaction between ecosystem processes and community structure of marine benthic animals. Presently my laboratory is working on benthic-pelagic linking approach to delineate the nearshore benthic population. The relative importance of pre- versus post-settlement events in soft-bottom communities, integrating both pelagic and benthic phases of animal life cycles has been the highlight of our research work. We are also interested in biology and ecology of marine invertebrates, and the impact of global climate change on marine biotic community. Recently we have started working on Polar benthic biodiversity. 

​Qualifications:

• M.Sc. Marine Biology (Karnatak University, India, 2003) Gold Medalist

• Ph.D. Marine Science and Technology (Nagasaki University, Japan, 2010) 

Achievements:

• Japanese Government Monbukagakusho Fellowship, 2006-2010

• Post Doctoral Fellowship-Australian Government Endeavour Research Fellowship, 2015

• Scientific member of the 11th Indian Expedition to Southern Ocean 2020 

• Fellow of The Linnean Society of London, 2021

• Scientific member of the Indian Arctic Expedition, 2023

Biography:

My doctoral work at Nagasaki University Japan was on aspects of the early life history processes in two intertidal macrobenthic species with contrasting mode of larval development in coastal waters of western Kyushu, Japan: the callianassid shrimp, Nihonotrypaea harmandi (Bouvier, 1901), and the trochid gastropod, Umbonium moniliferum (Lamarck, 1822). I also worked as a teaching assistant during my doctorate period at the Faculty of Fisheries and took classes for graduate and undergraduate students. After completing my doctorate degree I joined at National Institute of Oceanography, Goa (CSIR-NIO) as a Project Associate in the project Ballast Water Management Programme in India. In 2011, I received DST Fast Track Project for Young Scientists and continued to work at NIO as a Principal Investigator before joining Presidency University in 2012.