Using Coastal Impact’s platform, we have begun a webinar series with a number of guest speakers giving presentations on various topics that are close to our hearts.
Completed Webinars
10th January 2021
Documenting Conservation
Wildlife filmmaker, Malaika Vaz, in webinar discusses the real life stories of Indian communities protecting big cats, investigates transnational wildlife crime and reports on the struggle for survival of bats in a post covid world.
5th December 2020
The use of Dashboards in Marine Ecosystem Management
Marine Biologist Dr Kalpana Chaudhari discusses how modern technology can be used to record data and assist in future marine ecosystem management.
28th November 2020
Combating Wildlife Trade in India
Despite India’s strong legal framework, illegal cases are on the rise and threatening the existence of many of our beloved national species. In this presentation inspiring young conservation biologist, Sahila Kudalkar, explains why illegal wildlife trade is flourishing, what strides have been made by conservation societies to combat this and what we can all do to help.
7th November 2020
Maritime Archeaology in India
Presentation by Sundaresh – National Institute of Oceanography, Goa
Sundaresh gives us an insight into the various marine archeology projects he has worked on over the years all over India
31st October 2020
Tiger Talks
International award winning field conservationist, Imran Siddiqui, takes us on the trail of our beloved national animal in the Eastern Ghats of India and explains why, from bee to tiger, all conservation matters.
24th October 2020
Responsible EcoTourism
Presentation by Puja Mitra – Founder of Terra Conscious
17th October 2020
Sea Snakes… and what they taught me about my seafood
Dr Aaron Savio Lobo discusses his ‘a-ha moment’ while studying and researching sea snakes which lead to a greater understanding how current fishing industry techniques destroy marine ecology.
10th October 2020
Snakes Galore
Paresh Porob, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Forestry Department of Goa is a Graduate of Science (Zoology) First Class and holds an Honours Certificate in Ranger Training from the State Forest Service College, Coimbatore. In addition to his many awards and recognitions, Paresh is also responsible for his exemplary wildlife rescue work in Goa including elephants, leopards, Gaur, Sambhar Deer and snakes; together with the hand rearing of orphaned leopard cubs, wild pig, civet cats, mouse deer, kites and eagles. In this webinar, Paresh speaks of his passion for snakes and introduces us to some of the varieties to be found in Goa before teaching us how to respond when confronted by these beautiful reptiles by dispelling the many myths that surround them.
3rd October 2020
Wildlife Week
Mr Subhash Chandra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Government of Goa discusses the issues and challenges of sustainable forest management in the rich verdant landscape of Goa and details the projects undertaken by the Forest Department to conserve them.
26th September 2020
Battling for the Bats
Presentation by Bandana Aul Aurora
Saving the endemic Flying Fox species of Nicobar Islands
19th September 2020
21st Century Technology for Conservation
Presentation by Shashank Srinivasan
12th September 2020
Conservation Tales: Aaranyak
Presentation by Dr. Parag Jyoti Deka, Project Manager of TSRP and Project Director of PHCP, Aaranyak
Partnering to Secure and Recover Manas Grasslands and Threatened Species (Pygmy Hog)
5th September 2020
The Magic of eDNA
Presentation on eDNA by Ms Jojy John, Project Associate
National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)
30th August2020
A Weekend with Whale Sharks
join us for a virtual dive trip with Digant Desai in Indonesia, West Papua to meet the whale sharks of Cendrawasih Bay
Digant is one of the top marine photographers in India and has been widely published in various magazines and has also co authored a book on sea slugs. He has won several International and National awards for underwater photography and is passionate about showcasing the marine world.
21st August 2020
Can We Make Responsible Seafood Choices
Overfishing threatens the marine ecosystem, and also food security and livelihoods of people depending on it. As seafood is a largely demand-based industry, Know Your Fish intend to empower and encourage seafood consumers to make their seafood choices responsibly.
Mayuresh Gangal is an Alumnus of the Post-Graduate Programme in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, WCS-India and National Centre for Biological Sciences, Research affiliate – Oceans and Coast Programme, Nature Conservation Foundation. Currently pursuing a PhD in understanding impacts of overfishing on fish populations on the west coast of India. Also working in the Lakshadweep archipelago, documenting traditional fishing practices and how they change over time.
12th August 2020
A Date with Dugongs
Meet the Dugong Lady of India, Dr. Elrika D’Souza, who will introduce you to these placid, rare mammals on the brink of extinction!
Dr. Elrika is a Research Associate at the Nature Conservation Foundation has been working on the ecology and conservation of dugongs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for several years. Her recently completed doctoral thesis documented historical declines in dugong populations in the islands and attempted to identify the factors that led to this decline. Her work also explores the relationship between dugongs and the seagrass meadows they depend on.
9th August 2020
The Habitats Trust – Funding Conservation
In this webinar, Trisha will talk about The Habitats Trust and the roles of the partners in the team. She will also discuss their Conservation Grants for organisations and individuals, the selection process for the Grant recipients, and highlight some of their previously funded projects.
Trisha is the Project Director of The Habitats Trust and an avid lover of wildlife and the forests. She has spent close to a decade working on conservation issues in India that are often overlooked. She has worked with some of India’s premier conservation organizations including WWF-India and the Wildlife Protection Society of India. Trisha has worked on a myriad of conservation issues including human-wildlife conflict, poaching and illegal trafficking in wildlife parts, habitat loss and fragmentation, conservation awareness generation, and support to forest fringe communities.
Watch the YouTube recording of the webinar
26th July 2020
Diving with Dolphins
In this webinar, Mihir will give us an introduction to humpback dolphins and describe the work being conducted with them in Maharashtra
Mihir is a PhD candidate at The Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, Bangalore, currently working on humpback dolphins (Genus Sousa) across the peninsular Indian coast. A marine biologist by training, he has been studying coastal systems since 2012 and has focused mainly on small cetaceans in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra as a part of the KCRT. Mihir is broadly interested in cetacean habitat ecology and its role in population structuring and speciation.
14th July 2020
Swimming with Sharks
Devanshi Kasana gives us an incredible introduction to sharks and other elasmobranchs, explaining about their feeding habitats and habitats, while dispelling the fear of sharks brought about by the spread of erroneous information and shedding light on the horrific practice of shark finning.
A graduate student at Florida International University, Devanshi works with genetic tools on elasmobranch fisheries, trade and conservation, researching the role of shark meat as a driver of the shark fishery in Belize, Central America. Her interests lie in studying heavy metal accumulation and toxicity in shark tissues to inform consumption practices and the global trade dynamics of shark meat.
9th July 2020
Sea Sponges: Filters of the Sea
In this webinar, Dr Anita George will talk about the various sponge forms, types, functional roles, & importance in biomedical research & reef ecosystem
Dr Anita is a naturalist, marine sponge and octocoral taxonomist with expertise in biodiversity, biogeography, conservation and management of the reef ecosystem. She has a post-doctorate from James Cook University, Australia and handled (ing) projects related to sponge-associated fauna and sponges as ecological indicators for climate-change studies in the Great Barrier Reef and the peninsula India.
4th July 2020
Nudibranchs: Butterflies of the Sea
Learn about the incredible world of nudibranchs and sea slugs in this presentation by Dr Deepak Apte.
Dr Deepak is the Director of BNHS. He has established a full-fledged Marine Conservation Programme in BNHS and heads a number of research and conservation programmes all over India. Deepak is an excellent underwater photographer and has published a book with the most amazing underwater pictures of sea slugs. He aims to popularize marine biodiversity through research, field expedition and publications.
28th June 2020
Alternatives to Fossil Fuels
In this presentation, Jairam Agaram talks about a variety of alternate energy forms that are in use today, and their advantages and disadvantages.
Jairam owns Digital Energy Inc., a company in California, and has provided consulting to the energy industry since 1989 about energy efficient building design, photovoltaic systems design, solar thermal systems design, energy storage systems, micro-grids, wind energy studies, geo-thermal energy and geothermal heat pumps, etc.
21st June 2020
International Climate Change Day: Solar Energy
In this webinar, Suneet will explain about solar energy, the practicalities of setting up solar panels, and the advantages and disadvantages of solar power.
Suneet is involved in designing and installation of rooftop solar PV systems for residential, industrial and institutional end users under his partnership firm, Solum Enterprises.
16th June 2020
World Turtle Day
Muralidharan M talks about sea turtles, especially those found in India, ecology and threats to their survival.
Murali Field Director in the Biodiversity and Monitoring Programme at Dakshin Foundation, I develop and oversees projects focusing on the monitoring of flagship marine species such as sea turtles and sea snakes across the Indian coast. I have worked with traditional fishing communities to develop more participatory activities in conservation. My interests include education, outreach and training for the monitoring and conservation of coastal and marine systems.
11th June 2020
Mollem Update: 3 Projects, 1 Irreplaceable Forest
In this webinar, Parag Rangnekar elucidates the faunal diversity of Bhagawan Mahavir Sanctuary in Mollem, Goa and the impact of the proposed projects there.
Parag Rangnekar is an ecologist based in Goa with 15 research papers and various articles to his credit, including the description of 2 species new to science. A species of wasp, Kudakrumia rangnekari, has been named after him for his contribution towards biodiversity documentation. He is an expert member on the Goa State Biodiversity Board, Invertebrate Conservation Information Network for South Asia, and founding president of Goa Bird Conservation Network. He was awarded the LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) Fellowship.
