New White paper about the Diamond Open Access journal Sedimentologika is now live!
#Sedimentologika #diamondopenaccess
Check it out at:
https://oap.unige.ch/journals/sdk/article/view/1015
Growing up listening to the sounds of the sea in a shell. The entire seascape captured within the delicate structure of the conch. The inspiration of nature drove me to continuously spend my head in the books when away from the ocean. We didn’t say studying- we said wonder. Wonder about the abyss, the deep blue ocean and its rich inhabitants. How they breathe, how they respire. Eating their way across the food web. A pioneering life history strategy they said- that was our vision. As a student of marine science, there was so much to learn- so much to inspire, digest and reflect upon. The continuous inspiration of the oceans drove me forward into the deep blue wilderness of the abyss. Where had I come from to do oceanography? From a place in my imagination so intrinsically connected with nature. A place unexplored where explorers seek to find wonder. Confronted with scientific understanding I looked to nature to find my muse. Paper after paper, searching for the vision of the natural world within my data. I learned to be a scientist, an ecologist mapping the shallows as well as the deep. Listening to the sea and all its glory I sat there wondering what could be done to save our oceans.
Apologies for the pause in our Seabed Habitats Seminar Series, we hope to find more speakers, increase collaboration and scientific engagement in the coming year. (Plus I have also been working on the Challenger Society for Marine Science’s Early Career Researcher Seminar Series.) Meanwhile, the GeoHab Habitat Mapping conference will take place in Venice, Italy in 16-20 May 2022 and is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the latest scientific developments from leading scientists in marine habitat mapping including a workshop on “Ocean mapping in the Anthropocene: new technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.” It’s quite a challenge as an independent marine scientist, but I hope to present at this conference this year and have submitted an abstract before the deadline! It is possible for Masters and PhD students to apply for support to attend the conference (see Student Awards page on the GeoHab website).
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge and thank the Challenger Society for Marine Science, for the Stepping Stones Bursary Award, to make participation possible. Their support is much appreciated.
The word “Kadalamma” meaning Mother Ocean has been used for many generations to refer to the sea.
Kumar Sahayaraju
Indigenous fisherman, marine researcher and Chevening scholar Kumar Sahayaraju, gave the January 2022 seminar as part of the Seabed Habitats Seminar Series. Kumar spoke of the indigenous knowledge of the Mukkuva indigenous fishing community in India. The community has seen a close connection with the sea for generations and depend on it for their livelihood. Due to the increasing pressures of large scale industrial development at this coast, marine habitats rich in biodiversity have deteriorated after being neglected. Kumar brought attention to this issue through his seminar and by fostering collaborations with scientists as well as the general public. Citizen science initiatives involving the indigenous fishermen, ocean literacy initiatives to encourage a greater connection with the ocean habitats, and more extensive scientific insights into management are all possible solutions. Furthermore, indigenous knowledge needs to be adequately recorded and documented in order to be preserved for future generations. We would like to cordially thank Kumar for joining us and bringing light to this issue, which has parallels around the world.
Happy new year for 2022! We are pleased to announce that Kumar Sahayaraju, Chevening Scholar, fisherman, and indigenous marine researcher at University of Sussex, UK will be giving a seminar on Tuesday 25th January at 1300 GMT on “Seabed ecosystems and Indigenous livelihoods in Southwest coast of India.”
It is identified by the indigenous fishers that Southeastern Arabian Sea has several biodiversity-rich reefs. Most of the reefs are rocky, some of them shaped like platforms. There are also sandy reefs and those developed over shipwrecks. Colonies of corals and mussels comprise much of the reef biodiversity, and support livelihoods of more than 300,000 artisanal fishers engaged in sustainable fishing. The local artisanal fishing practices involve a deep understanding of seabed morphology, seasonal variations in weather and sea state, seasonal climatic factors, astronomical objects and marine biodiversity. Amidst concerns about large-scale biodiversity loss in recent years these reefs are also challenged by anthropological and climate pressures. Much of the biodiversity in these regions is poorly documented in the scientific literature, and yet the Indigenous and local knowledge of many areas is extensive, but often overlooked. The session discusses about the importance and features of seabed ecosystem as a livelihood source of indigenous fishers in South India.
Biography: Kumar Sahayaraju is an emerging Marine Biotechnologist from an indigenous fishing community in South India. Being an Engineer in Biotechnology and a scuba diver, he has the experiences of working with organisations like Friends of Marine Life (FML), an indigenous marine research organisation in Kerala and M.S.Swaminadhan Research Foundation (MSSRF) with a capacity of marine researcher and community youth leader. He is doing sea bed ecosystem studies on the Southwest coast of India and documenting the biodiversity by incorporating the knowledge of the Mukkuva indigenous fishing community in India. As a founding member of Coastal Students Cultural Forum (CSCF), he undertakes marine environment related voluntary activism and promoting ocean literacy with coastal youth and graduate students. He has graduated from University of Stirling with a prestigious UK Chevening Scholarship. He is currently working as research assistant for University of Sussex, UK and volunteering as with Radio Kadal-Community radio for fishermen in Trivandrum. In addition to this, he is volunteering with Climate Science, Ireland on Climate Education in India. He is frequently engaging on climate change, conservation of marine resources and issues of indigenous Fisherfolk in South India.
Please register for seminar and to receive occasional updates below:
Join us for a film screening of “Coral Woman” with Q&A with special guest Uma Mani. This is a filmmaker’s journey with Uma, an artist who paints coral reefs, a certified scuba diver, exploring the underwater world & the threat to coral reefs of Gulf of Mannar, India. Born in a traditional family in Tamil Nadu, 53 year old Uma, a homemaker, has been trying to bring attention to this alarming environmental issue through her paintings. It is, in fact, these corals that inspired Uma to learn how to swim, dive & paint in her 50s. Coral Woman is about Uma’s efforts to address the threat to coral reefs from bleaching, industrial pollution and climate change. The screening will take place on Tuesday 28th December at 1300 GMT, followed by a Q&A with Uma Mani! Please register below for the link and occasional updates and join us for this very special event.