Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator and pioneer of blue whale research in the northern Indian Ocea, Dr Asha de Vos has been named as the 'Sri Lankan of the Year' by LMD.De Vos holds a number of academic qualifications in her area of expertise, but bypassed academia to establish Oceanswell – Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education nonprofit.
The Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project, which commenced in 2008, is the first long-term study on blue whales in this region – it is Oceanswell’s flagship project. The research conducted through this project has led to many key research publications, and is used to dictate policy at both local and global levels.
Oceanswell is engaged in ‘thinking big’ to solve challenges, mentoring to mobilise, conservation research, storytelling to save oceans and educating to empower.
De Vos travels across the world to ensure that the oceans of the global south have a voice on the international stage – and indeed, to increase awareness of the magic of what lies beneath them while also sharing her stories here in Sri Lanka.
In an interview with The Wiley Network earlier this year, she confessed to being “obsessively passionate” about sharing her ocean adventures and science with everyone. Moreover, de Vos emphasised the need to protect blue whales and that “there are ways to ensure that the economy of the country is not affected while also protecting this species that we use for our tourism industry.”
She was recently featured on the BBC 100 Women 2018, which is a list of inspiring and influential women from around the world.
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest