Our Team
We are a group of researchers with an interest in promoting the study and conservation of Indian seabirds. Meet our team!
Anant Pande
He/Him
I work as a Senior Scientist with WCS-India's Marine Programme, focusing on reducing marine megafauna bycatch along the Indian coastline. My work interests span an intersection of marine biodiversity conservation, science, and policy, developing solutions to global challenges such as bycatch, biodiversity loss, ecosystem alteration, and climate change.
I co-founded the Indian Seabird Group to create awareness and build a platform for seabird research in India.
Sabiya Sheikh
She/Her
I am currently a PhD student at the University of Exeter. My research is focused on mapping foraging grounds and diet of seabirds in conjunction with mapping the distribution and availability of forage fish to understand the link between seabirds and their prey in the Southwest of the UK.
I co-founded the Indian Seabird Group to help connect seabird researchers with ecology graduates interested in seabird research.
Deven Mehta
He/Him
I am a researcher and founding president of Kshitij Foundation - a non-profit organization based in Gujarat, India, established to promote education, science and technology, research, communication, conservation of nature, and a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle with socio-economic and ecological well-being of the society.
Previous work:
1) Member - Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, PA, USA
2) Researcher - Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
Hrishikesh Rane
He/Him
I am currently the Assistant Director of Capacity Building at the Mangrove Foundation, Forest Department of Maharashtra.
My work involves research, conservation, and awareness programs for waterbirds, including seabirds. We rescue and rehabilitate stranded seabirds along the coast of Maharashtra, and publish various posters, field guides, and books on coastal birds.
Previously, I worked with the Bombay Natural History Society to study the migration of waterbirds in Maharashtra. In 2018, I represented India at a conference in China, showcasing India's role in the research and conservation of migratory birds, with a focus on the Central Asian Flyway.
Pradip Chogale
He/Him
I am a Project Associate with WCS-India's Ocean Giants team, dedicated to minimizing marine megafauna bycatch along Maharashtra’s coast.
My work emphasizes protecting cetaceans, sea birds, and sea turtles through research and community engagement.
With extensive experience at CMFRI, CIFT, and BNHS, I have spent over 100 days on offshore surveys across the Indian EEZ and contributed impactful research articles, presentations, and regional publications on marine wildlife and coastal ecosystems.
Ravichandra Mondreti
He/Him
I am a senior consultant and researcher working at the intersection of climate change, sustainability, biodiversity and forestry. I am also a consultant and advisor - Carbon Credits for RenewCred.
I pursued my PhD on the ecology of seabirds in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands, India, through an Erasmus Mundus Fellowship at the Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), CNRS, Montpellier, France and Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India. I have published my seabird research in a few peer-reviewed journals.
Sohini Dudhat
She/Her
I am pursuing a PhD at the University of St. Andrews. I work on strandings of marine mammals and turtles in Oman currently and have worked on coastal marine ecosystems (seagrasses and corals) in India previously.
I am interested in studying seabirds and am a part of this group to connect with other like-minded researchers and find ways to contribute to seabird research in India.
Shivira
She/Her
I am an ecologist with a MSc. in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from Edinburgh Napier University, and I work independentlly as an Ecological Consultant. My past work experience includes WCS-India and RSPB Scotland.
I currently manage the Indian Seabird Group social media and website.
If you work on seabirds, and want to write for us, please get in touch!