Marine Conservation Wonders: Coral Reefs and Sea Turtles
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Decide which area of conservation you fit in, advises Manish Chandi, research scholar, Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).
What led you to this profession?
I am not a marine conservationist by training, though I work in an area very closely related to the marine region. Though a graduate and postgraduate in economics, I decided to follow my heart and hone my skills in a career that both fascinated and satisfied me. In 1995, I began working in the Andaman Islands as a volunteer on the Conservation Corps Programme with the WWF-India and ANET (Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team).
Having lived in a rural area and having had prior experience with the intricacies of rural life, I was able to harness my interest in natural history and wildlife, and combine it with my knowledge of economics and development to support the cause of nature conservation. Over the years, life in ‘the field', has taken me closer to nature and has provided me with the opportunity to live alongside human communities of the islands, apart from the prospects of participating in wildlife survey teams and pursuing my passion for photography.
From the year 2000, I began to focus specifically on human communities and problems in conserving natural resources. Then I started working with Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF). During this phase, I got acquainted with the doctoral programme at NCF, where I've found the opportunity to develop my skills, and to improve my ideas on future work and research in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
What are the projects you are involved with at the NCF?
I am involved in a project called Socio-economic and Reef Monitoring (SocMon), a global initiative constituted under the GCRMN (Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network) to assist coral reef management. SocMon is being conducted by ANET, for which I coordinate the project. I also facilitate sea turtle research. The work is being carried out collaboratively by ANET and Dr Kartik Shanker from the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute for Science in Bangalore. I am also working towards my PhD with NCF - it is on understanding resource management and sharing mechanisms by traditional communities in the
Nicobar Islands. Coral reef managers are responsible for sustainable use and reef conservation. Relations between human behaviour and the ecology of reef ecosystems thus becomecritical aspects in coral reef management. It is essential therefore to assess and predict needs for managing the reef ecosystem and an economy dependent on its health. Where sea turtle research is concerned, four species of marine turtles use beaches in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago to nest, as well as feed. Beach development and fishing are a threat to these turtles. ANET has been involved in monitoring key nesting beaches as well as surveying various localities within the island group.
What are the challenges one faces in this profession?
The primary challenge is yourself, and what sort of life you want to lead. It's a choice one has to make and decide in which area of conservation one fits in. There are many more challenges, but these are dependent on the person one is, the people one interacts with, and logistical problems. Another challenge is in educating oneself on marine or resource conservation that's relevant to India and at par with what the rest of the world is doing.
Is there need for more marine conservationists?
Why not? Fish stocks are declining worldwide, sea turtles face innumerable problems for long term survival, etc. The oceans are one of the least explored realms on our planet and most people are clueless of its contribution to life and its beauty.
What's the kind of training required?
For a marine scientist, a course in marine biology/ecology is a prerequisite. For a marine conservationist, the heart and head, and willpower are the qualifications.
Author: Ayesha Banerjee (HT Horizons)
You may also like to read: Marine Conservation: Saving the Beautiful and Fragile Underwater Species and Career As A Marine Conservationist
Date: 13th January, 2011
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