Focus of Research :
- Shellfish Fishery, Biology and Resource Management
- Ecological Monitoring and Management
- Shellfish breeding and culture
- Site selection for deployment of Artificial Reefs
- Gelatinous zooplankton bloom monitoring
Background :
After completing my master's degree in Aquatic Environmental Management in 2013 at CIFE, I served as an Inspector of Fisheries at Villupuram for the State Fisheries Department of Tamil Nadu from 2013 to 2014. In 2015, I joined the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) as a Scientist at ICAR (101st FOCARS at NAARM, Hyderabad). In 2024, I completed my Doctor of Philosophy in Fisheries Resource Management from the Faculty of Fisheries Science at KUFOS. I worked at the Mandapam Regional Research Centre of CMFRI, Mandapam, from 2015 to 2022, specialising in the Crustacean Fisheries Division. Since 2022, I have been focusing on the biology and population dynamics of shellfish, including prawns, crabs, lobsters, cephalopods, and gastropods, within the Shellfish Fisheries Division. I am also involved in developing a long-term management plan for the sustainable use of this resource. |
Education :
- PGDFLP-2026 (Post Graduate Diploma in Fisheries Law and Policy, Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Tiruchirappalli – Tamil Nadu)
- Ph.D. - 2024 (Fisheries Resource Management, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kochi)
- M.F.Sc – 2013 (ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai)
- B.F.Sc. - 2011 (Fisheries College and Research Institute, TANUVAS, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu)
Current Research Projects :
No | Title | Funded By |
1. | Science for sustainability: Developing an integrated assessment framework to support management decisions for marine fisheries in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry – SFD/IAF/13 (Principal Investigator) | CMFRI |
2. | Investigations on the recruitment of juvenile/subadult penaeid shrimps from nursery habitats to derive management insights for the coastal penaeid shrimp fishery – SFD/PSF16 (Co-PI) | CMFRI |
3. | Assessment and management of small-scale bivalve and gastropod fisheries for sustainable exploitation in India – SFD/BGF/17 (Co-PI) | CMFRI |
4. | Understanding the dynamics of emerging and non-conventional marine fisheries resources (ENCFR) and their potential economic and food security implications along the Indian coast (FFD/ENCFR/33) (Associate) | CMFRI |
5. | Gelatinous zooplankton bloom and their ecological interplay in the Indian coastal waters – MBEMD/GZP/32 (Associate) | CMFRI |
6. | Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) Scheme (Co-PI) | ICAR |
Awards & Recognitions :
- 2011- ICAR-Junior Research Fellow for M.F.Sc. in CIFE, Mumbai
- 2013 - Gold medal award for securing top OGPA in M.F.Sc. from ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai.
- 2024- Best presentation award at 13th IFAF, Kolkata
Publications:
- Rajkumar, M., Pillai, S.L., Thirumalaiselvan, S. and Kizhakudan, S.J., 2025. Using length frequency to derive biological reference points for managing fisheries of the green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844)(Decapoda: Dendrobranchiata: Penaeidae) in Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 45(1), p.ruae083. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruae083.
- Rajkumar, M., Pillai, S.L., Raju, S., Lakshmanan, R., Mookaiah, K. and Kizhakudan, S.J., 2024. Fishery status of the green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) in Palk Bay, in the southeast coast of India: Local and global perspectives. Ocean & Coastal Management, 258, p.107395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107395
- Rajkumar, M., Pillai, S.L., Rameshkumar, P., Saravanan, R., Thirumalaiselvan, S., Jose, J., Sobhana, K.S. and George, M.R., 2023. Reproductive biology of green tiger shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844 in Palk Bay, southeast coast of India. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 66, p.103161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103161
- Rajkumar, M., Pillai, S.L., Saravanan, R., Thirumalaiselvan, S. and Remya, L., 2024. Food and feeding strategies of the green tiger shrimp, Penaeus semisulcatus, in southeastern India. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 44(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruae017
- Rajkumar, M., and Pillai, S Lakshmi and Midhun, M and Rajkumar, R and Thirumalaiselvan, S and Saravanan, R (2024) Morphometric relationships and condition factor of the green tiger shrimp, Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844 (Decapoda, Penaeidae), from Palk Bay waters of Tamil Nadu. Crustaceana, 97 (3-4). pp. 163-179. ISSN 1568-5403
