Focus of Research :
- Demersal fish biology and stock assessment
- Impact of climate change on fish resources
- GIS-based analysis of fish resources
Background :
I completed my Bachelor of Fisheries Science from College of Fisheries, Panangad in 2000 and my MS in Aquatic and Fishery Science from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA in 2004. I joined the Agricultural Research Service in December, 2009. In 2010 I was posted to the Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of CMFRI as scientist in the Demersal Fisheries Division. Since then I have been involved in the assessment of major demersal resources of Andhra Pradesh and the impacts of climate change on these resources. I am also involved in GIS-based analysis of these resources.
Education :
- PhD (2018) Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
- MS (Aquatic & Fishery Science) 2004, University of Washington, Seattle
- BFSc 2000, College of Fisheries, Kerala Agricultural University
Current Research Projects :
| No | Title | Funded By |
| 1 | Science for Sustainability:Developing an Integrated Assessment Framework (IAF) to support management decisions for marine fisheries of Andhra Pradesh | CMFRI |
| 2 | Decoding the interplay of fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent factors on elasmobranchs of India to improve conservation, sustainability, livelihood, security and management | CMFRI |
| 3 | Automated System for Marine Fishery Resources Landing Data Collection viaComputer Vision and AI- Driven Deep Learning Algorithms for Species Identification and Quantification from Visual Images | CMFRI |
| 4 | 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 |
| 5 | Bio-inventoring and documentation of marine species in coastal and marine ecosystems of Andhra Pradesh | APSBB |
| 6 | National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) | ICAR |
| 7 | Integrating Risk Assessment and Future Projections for Sustainable Coastal Resilience | MoEF&CC |
| 8 | Developing a National Roadmap for Integrated Coastal Conservation and Fisheries Enhancement along the Indian coast through Artificial reefs | CMFRI |
Awards & Recognitions :
- H. Mason Keeler Scholarship for Excellence, 2001-2003
- AKDS gold medal for best outgoing B. F. Sc student, 2000
- Dr. N Kunjan Pillai Memorial Endowment, 2000
- Association of Retired Fisheries Personnel Excellence award, 2000
- Member, IUCN-Shark Specialist Group, 2021-2025
- Member, IUCN Groupers and Wrasses Specialist Group, 2021-2025
Publications:
Best 5 Publications :
1) Muktha, M., et al. "Re-description of the longtail butterfly ray, Gymnura poecilura (Shaw, 1804)(Gymnuridae: Myliobatiformes) from Bay of Bengal with a neotype designation." Marine Biodiversity 48.2 (2018): 1085-1096.
2) Muktha, M., et al. "Fishermen’s perception of climate change-a study from Andhra Pradesh." Indian Journal of Fisheries 61.3 (2016): 110-119.
3) Akhilesh, K. V., Kizhakudan, S. J., Muktha, M., Najmudeen, T. M., Thomas, S., Karnad, D., ... & Gopalakrishnan, A. (2023). Elasmobranch conservation, challenges and management strategy in India: recommendations from a national consultative meeting. Current Science, 124(3), 292-303.
4) Muktha, M., et al. "Reproductive biology and diet of the longtail butterfly ray Gymnura poecilura (Shaw, 1804) along western Bay of Bengal." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 100.3 (2020): 461-470.
5) Thomas, S., Muktha, M., Sen, S., Kizhakudan, S. J., Akhilesh, K. V., Purushottama, G. B., ... & Nataraja, G. D. (2021). Status of the hammerhead shark (Carcharhiniformes: Sphyrnidae) fishery in Indian waters with observations on the biology of scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31(11), 3072-3086.
Links to other profiles :
- Academia.edu: https://cmfri.academia.edu/MukthaMenon
