Focus of Research :
- Fish population dynamics and stock assessment
- Elasmobranch fisheries
- Climate change impacts on fisheries
Background :
After taking masters in Mariculture in 1993, I worked as Manager of ANS shrimp hatchery, Cherai, Kerala till June 1996. I joined CMFRI (ARS, 1994 batch) in July 1996. I worked in crustacean and demersal fisheries in Visakhapatnam (1996-’98), and demersal fisheries at Veraval (1998-2003) and Chennai (2003-2023). I am currently working as Head, Finfish Fisheries Division at ICAR-CMFRI HQ in Kochi. I completed my PhD in 2011. Thrust areas of my research include stock status assessments for finfish species in Indian waters and formulating fishery management plans and conservation actions for ETP species of finfish.
Education :
- PhD (Zoology) 2011, University of Madras
- MSc (Mariculture) 1993 Cochin University of Science & Technology, I Rank with distinction
- BSc (Zoology) 1991, University of Calicut, I Rank with distinction
Current Research Projects :
| No | Title | Funded By |
| 1 | Decoding the interplay of fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent factors on elasmobranchs of India to improve conservation, sustainability, livelihood, security and management | CMFRI |
| 2 | Science for Sustainability:Developing an Integrated Assessment Framework (IAF) to support management decisions for marine fisheries of Kerala | CMFRI |
| 3 | Understanding the dynamics of emerging and non-conventional marine fisheries resources (ENCMFR), and their potential economic and food security implications along the Indian Coast | CMFRI |
| 4 | Developing a National Roadmap for Integrated Coastal Conservation and Fisheries Enhancement along the Indian coast through Artificial reefs | CMFRI |
| 5 | National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) | ICAR |
| 6 | Exploring the harvest and post-harvest potential of mesopelagic resources from the Indian EEZ – A pilot study for commercial exploitation towards Blue Economy | NFDB (PMMSY) |
Awards & Recognitions :
- JRF for Master’s program in Mariculture (1991-1993)
- Member, 7 th FAO-CITES Expert Advisory Panel for the Assessment of the Proposals to Amend Appendices I and II of CITES Concerning Commercially-Exploited Aquatic Species (July 2019)
- Member, IUCN-CITES Working Group on NDFs for Aquatic Species – Sharks & Rays (2022- 2023)
- Sub-editor, Indian Journal of Fisheries (2009 onwards)
Publications:
- Muktha, M and Kizhakudan, Shoba Joe and Thomas, Sujitha and Shyam, S Salim and Zacharia, P U and Dash, Swatipriyanka Sen and Akhilesh, K V and Najmudeen, T M and Vinod, M and Mahesh, V and Ambarish, Gop P and Remya, L and Manojkumar, P P and Rahangdale, Shikha and Purushottama, G B and Roul, Subal Kumar and Pradhan, Rajesh Kumar and Wilson, Livi and Nair, Rekha J and Patil, Gaurav and Jamalabad, Abhishek and Yousuf, K S S M and Radhakrishnan, M and Sunil, K T S (2024) Shark consumption in India: An exploratory study on trends and awareness. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 71 (4). pp. 115-123. ISSN 0970 – 6011
- Akhilesh, K V and Kizhakudan, Shoba Joe and Muktha, M and Najmudeen, T M and Thomas, Sujitha and Karnad, Divya and Sutaria, Dipani and Fernandes, Merwyn and Gupta, Trisha and Namboothri, Naveen and Patankar, Vardhan and Dash, Swatipriyanka Sen and Varghese, Sijo P and Biju Kumar, A and Barnes, Alissa and Bineesh, K K and John, Sajan and Gangal, Mayuresh and Manjebrayakath, Hashim and Malayilethu, Vinod and Tyabji, Zoya and Malaika, Vaz and Sukumaran, Sandhya and Purushottama, G B and Wilson, Livi and Mahesh, V and Nair, Rekha J and Remya, L and Rahangdale, Shikha and Manojkumar, P P and Sivakumar, K and Vivekanandan, E and Zacharia, P U and Gopalakrishnan, A (2023) Elasmobranch conservation, challenges and management strategy in India: recommendations from a national consultative meeting. Current Science, 124 (3). pp. 292-303.
Dineshbabu, A P and Zacharia, P U and Thomas, Sujitha and Kizhakudan, Shoba Joe and Rajesh, K M and Vivekanandan, E and Pillai, S Lakshmi and Sivadas, M and Ghosh, Shubhadeep and Ganga, U and Nair, Rekha J and Najmudeen, T M and Koya Mohammed and Chellappan, Anulekshmi and Dash, Gyanaranjan and Divipala, Indira and Akhilesh, K V and Muktha, M and Dash, Swatipriyanka Sen and Rojith, G and Ninan, Roshen G (2020) Assessment of stock vulnerability of Indian marine fishes to past changes in climate and options for adaptation. Climate Research, 79. pp. 175-192.
- Kizhakudan, Shoba Joe and Zacharia, P U and Thomas, Sujitha and Vivekanandan, E and Muktha, M (2015) CMFRI CMFRI Marine Fisheries Policy Series No.2; Guidance on National Plan of Action for Sharks in India Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, pp. 1- 102. ISBN ISSN 2394-8019
- Kizhakudan, Shoba Joe and Zala, M S (2006) Dynamics of Priacanthus hamrur (Forsskal) exploited off Saurashtra coast Indian Journal of Fisheries, 53 (4). pp. 409-416.
