Team Details

Dr. Achamveetil GOPALAKRISHNAN

Education & Advanced Training: Educated in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam; M.Sc. (Zoology) 1984; Ph.D. (Mariculture) 1991 (Cochin University of Science & Technology & Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi). Undergone advanced training on Molecular Population Genetics of fish in Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane & Griffith University, Australia. Also undergone Training on Senior Executive Development Programme (SEDP), Executive Development Programme (EDP) on Leadership Development and Management Development Programme (MDP) on Leadership Development from leading management institutions in India. Present Position: Director, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI), Kochi – 682 018, Kerala, under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR, DARE, Govt. of India); Managing Editor, Indian Journal of Fisheries; Member, Editorial Board, Indian Journal of Animal Sciences; Vice Chairman, Asian Fisheries Society – Indian Branch. He is also a Fellowship of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS), New Delhi, President & Life Member – Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI) Kochi, India; Life Member – Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation Society (ABCS), Lucknow, India; He is Chairman, Committee for framing a National Mariculture Policy for Govt. of India by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad, India. Formerly he was Principal Scientist & Officer-in-Charge, National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) Kochi Regional Centre, Kochi, Kerala. Important contributions: 28 years of experience in Fish Population/Conservation Genetics and management; DNA Barcoding; Milt cryopreservation; Fish Reproduction; (i) Distinct genetic stocks of 20 commercially important fish species identified, indicating stocks of these species require separate management strategies (ii) 140 Microsatellites (STRs) and species-specific DNA markers developed in 23 finfish and shellfish species (iii) DNA Barcodes developed for 111 elasmobranchs and 356 teleosts from marine and freshwater ecosystem (iv) Technique for forensic identification of meat of endangered whale shark and dugong was developed using species-specific DNA markers (v) Milt cryopreservation and captive breeding protocols developed for six threatened fish species (vi) Seven fish cell lines developed that will be of use in viral studies (vii) Significantly contributed in formulating the National Mariculture Policy for Government of India (2019); National Blue Economy and Sustainable Development Policy, Fisheries, Aquaculture & Fish Processing – for the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, Govt. of India (2019); National Policy on Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India (2017); Fisheries and Aquaculture Insurance Policy for NITI Aayog Govt. of India (2016); Green Certification Guidelines of Native Freshwater Ornamental Fishes; and Guidance on National Plan of Action (NPOA) on Elasmobranchs; (viii) Whole mtDNA sequence of two ornamental fish species (Sahyadria chalakkudiensis & S. denisonii); two sardine species (Sardinella longiceps & S. gibbosa) and a brackishwater food fish (Etroplus suratensis) from Indian waters generated (ix) Described new species of mackerel, Scomber indicus from Eastern Arabian Sea based on morphological, meristic and molecular taxonomic studies; a new species of copepod Apocyclops cmfri from Arabian Sea; Revalidated the status of mahseer Tor malabaricus (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) from southern Western Ghats, India; Developed protocol for species identification of nine species of groupers from Indian waters, based on the pyloric caeca number, pattern and colouration. Published 142 Papers in peer reviewed journals; Authored and edited – 18 books; uploaded 2102 DNA sequences in NCBI; guided Ph.D. 14 students.