Research Projects

Human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) is a significant driver of habitat disruption, climate change, and biodiversity loss, impacting organisms in various ecosystems. The ability of individuals to adapt to environmental stressors depends on certain traits, which can be present in all species or exist as individual variations within the species. Studies suggest that humans are applying the greatest selection pressure through direct and indirect methods. Marine organisms are being subjected to human stressors, either being extirpated or undergoing changes to their physiology and behavior. The marine ecosystems surrounding the Indian subcontinent have high biodiversity but are also subject to extreme anthropogenic activity. Fishing in this area supplies global seafood markets and is a popular tourist destination. Understanding how human activity affects the diversity and abundance of these habitats is essential for conservation and management of fisheries. This study aims to examine chronic stress in fish caught from different habitats through the fishing industry in the Andaman Islands by estimating cortisol accumulation in fish scales. By making behavioral observations and combining them with data from cortisol estimation studies, the researchers will understand how different levels of baseline stress between individuals might affect their response to acute stress, such as fishing. In conclusion, this project aims to understand human-induced stress across multiple species of marine fish due to anthropogenic disturbances and to elucidate some of the ways in which they adapt to such stressful conditions.