I have worked at CIBA since 1990 and currently head the Aquatic Animal Health and Environment Division, leading the research programme on aquatic animal disease surveillance with special reference to emerging issues in brackishwater aquaculture. I provide expert services to the Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries, Government of India, for aquatic animal quarantine, import of aquaculture inputs and related technical matters. This has included work on the import risk analysis for the introduction of Pacific white shrimp to India. I previously worked at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Cochin beginning in 1984, and carried out research on the occurrence of heterotrophic microorganisms and mercury contamination in coastal and marine waters.
I have been working in the area of aquaculture nutrition and feed technology since 1997. The main research areas of interest are nutrient requirement of Brackishwater fish and shrimps. The main focus of our research work is to develop cost effect feed technology for shrimp and fish and the prioritised areas are nutrient requirement of candidate species; feed processing technology; farm made feeds; functional feeds for broodstock and larvae of fish and shrimp; high health feeds; ornamental feeds; feed management and the development and commercialisation of cost-effective feed technologies.
My research interest includes captive broodstock development and seed production of penaeid shrimp and mud crabs. Recently I am working in seed production aspects of Indian white shrimp P. indicus, Artemia biomass production and its use in shrimp culture. I have ten years work experience in biosecured management of shrimp culture, mud crab culture, sustainable shrimp culture practices such as periphyton-based shrimp culture and biofloc-based farming, polyculture of finfishes with mud crabs and shrimp.
My main research interests are the growth improvement of candidate brackishwater aquaculture species using molecular tools. I also conduct research on the molecular systematics of coastal decapod crustaceans, especially shrimps of the Penaeidae and Palaemonidae. My more recent research has focused on mangrove and ichthyo-faunal biodiversity of the remotely located Andaman and Nicobar group of islands. I gained my PhD in Aquaculture from the ICAR Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai.
