Let’s dive deep into the world of Sharks and Rays with Sourav
Documenting India’s shark and ray diversity-from coast-wide baseline surveys to Critically Endangered nursery habitats
Sundarbans Nursery Habitat Project
This ongoing project investigates near-coastal waters of the Sundarbans biosphere reserve as a potential nursery ground for three Critically Endangered elasmobranch species: the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), giant freshwater whipray (Urogymnus polylepis), and widenose guitarfish (Glaucostegus obtusus). Supported by Sarisha Wildlife and Ecology and the Wildlife Trust of India, in collaboration with a local conservation NGO, the project aims to identify critical juvenile habitats within one of the world’s most biodiverse and threatened coastal ecosystems, informing future conservation and fishery management strategies.
Harbour & Landing Site Surveys
Through structured surveys across major fishing harbours and fish markets along India’s east and west coasts, this work documents elasmobranch landings, species composition, and trade patterns. Sites surveyed include Mangaluru (Karnataka), Therkuvadi (Tamil Nadu), and Bankra, Digha, and Kankinara (West Bengal/Andhra Pradesh). Combining direct observation with structured interviews of fishers and vendors, this research has revealed new geographic range records and critical population trend data for several threatened ray species, including significant population declines linked to overfishing.
Academic Work
1. New reports reveal novel habitats and geographic range extension of endangered Urogymnus rays across the Indian coastal and riverine ecosystems. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 109:79. https://doi.org/10.1007/
Field Expeditions