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Education

Doctorate (Zoology: Marine Ecology), Post-graduation degrees – University of Mumbai (Zoology), Integrated Coastal Zone Management – AIT, Bangkok and Marine Policy -Duke University, USA

Experience

His wildlife career spans over three and half decades and as a Principal Scientist, he has implemented over 50 major research projects and over 1000 training programmes, and written over 100 popular articles and editorials and 35 technical reports.

Joined

April, 2021

Deepak Apte, PhD

Managing Director

Deepak is currently Managing Director at Srushti Conservation Foundation. His wildlife career spans over three and half decades.  His key areas of expertise are Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Coastal Regulation Zone, Climate Change and Land Degradation and nature conservation related policies.

His wildlife career spans over three and half decades and contributed greatly to the conservation of nature and help develop several policies at national and international level. He has completed 28 years’ service at Bombay natural History Society prior to the joining as Executive Director of SCF. As a Principal Scientist, he has implemented more than 50 major projects, over 1000 training programmes and written over 100 popular articles and editorials and 35 technical reports. Besides traversing length and breadth of India’s wildlife landscapes and seascapes, he has also travelled to about 50 countries for scientific and academic work as well as presenting and participating in the international seminars and conferences. His work in Lakshadweep Archipelago has recently paved way to establish three community reserves under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 totalling 675 sq km of coral reef areas.

  1. Extensive and deep knowledge on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, coral reefs, Inter-tidal areas, mangroves and seagrass
  2. Extensive and deep knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystems of India spanning three decades
  3. Integrated Coastal Zone Management
  4. Coastal Regulation Zone
  5. Climate Change, Elevated Sea Surface Temperature and Coral Reefs
  6. Climate Change, Sea level rise and coastal inundation, land degradation and agrarian conflict
  7. Central Asian Flyway: Mapping and planning impact mitigation
  8. Sound knowledge of Conservation Policies like Wildlife Protection Act, Environmental Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act etc
  9. Coastal Wetlands
  10. Important Bird Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas
  11. Convention on Migratory species (CMS) – Central Asian Flyway and Marine mega fauna
  12. Worked across various landscapes in India from cold deserts of Ladakh, North-east India, Central India, and Islands
  13. Marine fauna taxonomy (mollusca)
  14. Biodiversity assessments of sectors like nuclear power plants, roads, hydropower, renewables (wind and solar), sea-links, airports and bird hazard, industrial estates and coastal regulation zone.
  15. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – Marine and Coastal, EBSA, Post 2020
  16. SDG Goal 14 – popularizing coastal and marine biodiversity, research, coastal and marine habitat restoration
  17. Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
  18. UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)
  19. Overseen species conservation – Vultures, Bengal and Lesser Florican, Finn’s Weaver, Indian Skimmer, Forest Owlet, Great Indian Bustard, Pheasants and Finches at high altitude Himalayan Landscape

Awards

  • Department of Ocean Development, GoI
  • Recipient of the prestigious Green Oscar ‘Whitley Award’ for his work on Coral Reefs and Giant Clams
  • Recipient of three Whitley Continuation Awards.
  • Global fellowship in Marine Conservation by the Duke University, USA.
  • Recipient of Kirloskar Vasundhara Green Teacher Award
  • Recipient of 2019 Taru Lalvani Rotary award for environmental conservation
  • Recipient of 2010 award from Rotary club of Thane for environmental conservation

Fellow

  • Fellow of LEAD-India
  • Fellow of International Visitors’ Programme, USA under Indo-US Exchange Programme.
  • Fellow Smithsonian (Man and Biosphere – SI-MAB) Environmental Leadership Programme

A well-received author, Deepak has to his credit five books and eighty-five scientific papers in the field of coastal and marine biodiversity with cumulative impact factor of 90 in the prestigious journals like Nature, Evolution, Ecological Indicators, Jour of Natural History, ZooKeys, Systematics and Biodiversity, Zootaxa, JMBA (UK), European Journal of Taxonomy, Marine Drugs, Journal of Conchology and JBNHS.

List of Publications 

Present Member

  • Chairman of Environmental Appraisal Committee on CRZ and Infrastructure (1), Ports, Harbours, Industrial Estates, and National Highway (Green Field Alignments) of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
  • Chairman – Committee on National Highways, MoEFCC, GoI
  • Chairman – Committee on Ports at MoEFCC, GoI.

  • Member Society of National Council of Science Museums (4 year term starting Sept 2022)

  • Member of Monitoring Evaluation Committee of MoEFCC, GoI
  • Member – Task Force for Rationalization of EC for Industrial Estates at MoEFCC, GoI.
  • Convenor – Syllabus committee of M.SC. in Maritime Studies at the University of Mumbai.
  • Member – Committee for Powai Lake edge project
  • Member – National Jury for Blue Flag Programme
  • Empanelment as Assessor for the QCI-NABET Scheme for Accreditation of EIA Consultant Organizations Version 3.
  • Former member of Forest Advisory Committee of MoEFCC, GoI.

Former Member as Director – Bombay Natural History Society

  1. Member – National Board of Wild Life, MoEFCC, Government of India
  2. Member – National Central Asian Flyway Action Plan Committee, MoEFCC, GoI
  3. Member – Advisory Committee, ENVIS, MoEFCC, GoI
  4. Member – Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board – Fauna Committee
  5. Member – CRZ Committee, Mumbai District, Maharashtra
  6. Member – Wetland Committee, Government of Maharashtra
  7. Member – National Vulture Recovery Programme, Government of India
  8. Member – Research Advisory Committee, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai
  9. Executive Committee Member – Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON)
  10. Vice Chair – BirdLife Asia Council
  11. Governing Council Member – Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON)
  12. Board Member – Wildlife Institute of India Society
  13. Executive Committee Member – CAMPA – Maharashtra State
  14. Member – State Wildlife Advisory Board of Maharashtra
  15. Member – State Wildlife Advisory Board of Rajasthan
  16. Member – State Wildlife Advisory Board of Madhya Pradesh
  17. Member – State Wildlife Advisory Board of Andaman and Nicobar
  18. Member – State Wildlife Advisory Board of Haryana
  19. Member – Sarus Conservation Committee, Government of Utter Pradesh
  20. Member – Wetland Authority Utter Pradesh, Government of Utter Pradesh
  21. Member – Bird Control Committee, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India
  22. Executive Committee – Flamingo City Heritage Site, Gujarat State
  23. Board of Governor – GEER Foundation, Gujarat
  24. Member – Mangrove Conservation Committee, Government of Maharashtra
  25. Member – Monitoring Committee for Girnar Ropeway Project, Gujarat State
  26. Member – Supreme Court appointed committee on Great Indian Bustard
  27. Member – Governing Body – Tiger Conservation Foundations, Maharashtra State
  28. Governing Council Member – Mangrove Foundation, Government of Maharashtra
  29. Executive Committee Member – Mangrove Foundation, Government of Maharashtra
  30. Member – Committee on Mangrove and Coral Reef Action Plan, Gujarat State

Three students are currently pursuing PhD under his supervision at University of Mumbai and one student at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka.

  1. Ms. Sayali Mavlankar: Review of Genus Nassarius (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Indian Coast
  2. Ms. Monisha Bharate: Review of Genus Haminoea Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Indian Coast
  3. Mr. Adwait Ghatpande: Rock shells (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Family: Muricidae) of Alibag
  4. Ms. Pragati Kamble: Review of subfamily Cerithiinae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Indian Coast
  1. Stylostomum mixtomaculatum Pitale and Apte, 2019
  2. Cratena poshitraensis Bharate, Padula, Apte, Shimpi, 2020
  3. Cratena pawarshindeorum Bharate, Padula, Apte, Shimpi, 2020
  4. Nassarius arewarensis Nerurkar, Shimpi, Apte, 2020
  5. Dawkinsia uttara Katwate, Apte, Raghavan, 2020
  6. Cycloporus decorates Pitale & Apte, 2021
  7. Eurylepta alicula Pitale & Apte, 2021
  • Haloa aptei (Bharate, Oskars, Narayana, Ravinesh, Biju Kumar & Malaquias, 2018)
  • Trachischium apteii Bhosale, Gowande & Mirza 2019
  • Nassarius deepakaptei Nerurkar 2021
  • Platevindex aptei Goulding & Dayrat 2021