The Department of Zoology became research centre under Kerala university in the year 1987. During the 32 years of its journey, produced 36 doctoral degrees, undertaken 20 major and 4 minor research projects from various funding agencies like University Grants Commission (UGC), MoEF, Asian Fishery Society, Philippines, Norway, IFS (International Foundation for Science), Sweden, CDS, KSCSTE, DBT, Western Ghat cell, Govt of Kerala. Thrust areas of research Pollution, Fish Biology, Gene Manipulation and Transgenesis, Fish Breeding, Biodiversity and Aquaculture. Water pollution studies of various wetland ecosystem- Sasthamkotta freshwater system, Ashtamudi Lake (The Ramsar sites) and Vattakkayal (The notified wetland) got wide media attention. The center have developed disease resistant transgenic fish, artificial breeding technology for endemic fish, live feed Daphnia culture etc.
Total Number of Ph.D. Degrees Awarded from the Department.
| Sl.No, | Candidate name | Guide name | Title of thesis
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| 1 | Joseph M L | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Ecobiology of Sasthamcotta lake.
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| 2 | Johnson Pius | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Studies on the Scales of Fishes (Teleostei Perciformes.).
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| 3 | Usha, K | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Studies on toxic effect of cashew nut shell liquid and cashew nut smoke |
| 4 | Usha S | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Studies on the Fins of Carp Fishes (Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita, Catla Catla) used in Polyculture |
| 5 | M.K.P.Roy | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Environment related water quality of Kollam municipality, Kerala
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| 6 | Sulabha,V | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Limnological studies on selected temple ponds of Kollam municipality
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| 7 | Mani,C | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Investigations on various aspects of scales of Selected aquarium fishes
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8 | George D’Cruz | Prof. P. J. Thomas | Effect of KMML Titanium Dioxide Industrial Effluents on the Biota of Chavara – Ponmana Area of Kollam
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| 9 | Saya B | Dr. M. C. Subash Peter | Stress and Ionic Regulation in the Perch, Anabas Testudineus Bloch: Role of Thyroid Hormones |
| 10 | Sheela. S | Dr. Sr. Soosamma Kavumpurath | Gene transfer Studies in Fishes” |
| 11 | Mukundan. T .K | Dr. Ignatius. J | “Biology of Ambassis gymnocephalus“
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| 12 | Sunitha.S | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | The Biology and Ecology of Termites of Kerala, India, with special reference to Odontotermes obesus |
| 13 | Mano Mohan Antony | Dr. Ignatius. J | Ecophysiology of Etroplus Suratensis at Various regions of Astamudi lake.” |
| 14 | Charles George DCruz | Dr Ignatius J | Osmotic response of a fresh water fish Claria batrachus (Linn.) exposed to pesticide and heavy metal
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15 | Jasmine Anand | Dr. A. Akhila Thomas | Studies on the Immunomodulatory Potentials of Certain Phytonutrients on Macrobrachium Rossenbergii
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16 | Anupriya Samuel | Dr. Valsa Jacob | Role of serotonin and hydrogen sulfide in neuronal ion transport during stress acclimation of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus Bloch)
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| 17 | Razeena Karim L | Dr. Sherly William. E | Ecobiological aspects of an estuarine fish – Liza parsia |
18 | Sreelekshmy S. G | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Impact of Titanium dioxide Industrial effluent on the marine fish Arius nenga (Hamilton 1822) along the coast of Chavara, Kollam, Kerala
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19 | Vishnu Nair. M.S; | Dr.Sherly Williams.E | Captive breeding and larval rearing of hypselobarbus kurali of Kallada river Kulathupuzha region, Kollam district
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| 20 | Jayasree.S; | Dr. A. Akhila Thomas | Studies on the effect of certain Phytonutrients on Oreochromis mossambicus |
21
| Salini.M.P | Dr. A. Akhila Thomas | Studies on the effect of certain Phytonutrients on Macrobrachium rosenbergii |
22 | Usha. N. S | Dr. F. George D’ Cruz | Fish diversity of Ashtamudi lake, a Ramsar site at the South West Coast of India with reference to ecological factors
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23 | Shine F | Dr. A. Akhila Thomas | Synthesis and characterisation of gold nano particles using Emblica officinalis and its effect on Oreochromis mossambicus
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24 | Dhanya Raj D | Dr. A. Akhila Thomas | Green synthesis and characterisation of gold nano particle mediated by Curcuma longa and to evaluate its impact on hepatic functions of Oreochromis mossambicus
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| 25 | Mary Nirmala Borgia | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Biocontrol potential of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorabditis indicus against selected parts of cucurbitis |
26 | Mumthas Y | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Anthropogenic stressors and its impact on the macro benthic assemblages along the Southern coast of Kerala, India
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27 | Lekshmi S | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Plankton community structure and dynamics along the coast of Arthunkal in Kerala, South west coast of India.
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28 | Ambili | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Ecological aspects of Ariyoor river in south Kerala with special reference to hydrographical, sedimentological and macro-benthic characteristics
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29 | Reenamol | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Introduces species induced trophic interactions and their effects on indigenous fishes in Vellayani freshwater lake in Kerala, South India . |
30 | Naziya Rasheed | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Epibiont bacteria of marine algae Sargassum sp. As candidates for pest control |
31 | Sinu J Varghese | Dr. Mary Teresa P Miranda | Macro and meso benthic invertebrates’ richness and composition in relation to environmental variables along the coast of Arthunkal, Kerala.
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32 | Seethal Lal.S | Dr. Sherly Williams | Studies on pollution status, fish diversity and conservation of threatened fishes in Vattakkayal, a part of Ashtamudi lake, South India
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33 | Rani.S.Dharan | Dr. Sherly Williams | A comparative study on the fish fauna in the lower reaches of Pampa river, in relation to water, physico- chemical charecteristics.
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34 | Remya Mohan | Dr. Sherly Williams | Reproductive biology and population dynamics of Oxyurichthys tendacularis (Valenciennes) Gobidae of Ashtamudi lake.
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35 | Suja.S | Dr. Sherly Williams | Effects of carbomate pesticides and cadmium, lead heavy metals on fresh water murrel, Channa straita (Bloch, 1793).
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36 | Mary Rinju.R | Dr. Sherly Williams | Studies on the pearl oyster pinctada fucata (Gould 1850) with special emphasis on image pearl production. |
37 | Fiona Paulose | Dr. Sherly Williams | Studies on seasonal variation in, food and feeding of Oxyurichthys tendacularis (Valenciennes, 1837).
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38 | Lekshmi Priya.V | Dr. Sherly Williams | Selected heavy metal pollution load on commercially important shell fishes – Scylla serrata, Paphia malabarica and Penaeus monodon of Ashtamudi lake.
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39 | Nisha Thomas.P | Dr. Sherly Williams | Salinity tolerance of a fresh water fish Etroplus suratensis to pesticides and heavy metals, with special reference to osmoregulation and haematology.
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Research Projects in the Department
| Research Projects in the Department | ||||||
| S. No. | Name of | Name of the | Name of the | Type | Funds provided | Duration of the |
| the Project/ Endowments | Principal Investigator | Funding agency | (Government/Non-Government) | (INR ) | project | |
| 1 | Histochemical characterization of marine animals with reference to pollution | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | UGC, New Delhi | Government | 5000 | 2years (1980-19820 |
| 2 | Ecology and Biology of T.S canal (Kollam thodu) with reference to pollution | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Kerala state committee on science, technology and environment, Trivandrum | Government | 48650 | 3 YEARS (1986-88) |
| 3 | Implications of the Convention on Biological diversity for Kerala (P.I--.S,Faizi) | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | KRPLLD(CDS), Trivandrum | Government | 100000 | 1 year (1999-2000) |
| 4 | Ecology, Biology and pollution of Sasthamkotta lake | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Ministry of environment, wild life and forests, Govt. of India | Government | 216933 | 3years (1988-1991) |
| 5 | Studies on reproductive biology of certain estuarine animals (Co Investigator Sherly Williams) | Dr. V. R. Prakasam | Kerala state committee on science, technology and environment, Trivandrum | Government | 215000 | 2 years (2000-2002) |
| 6 | Impact of anthropogenic stressors on the dynamics of the | Dr. Mary Tresa P Miranda | UGC | Government | 994900 | 2011-14 |
| macrobenthic invertebrate assemblages of Kerala coast, South west coast of | ||||||
| India | ||||||
| 7 | Effect of | Dr. Sherly Williams E | KSCSTE | Government | 1110000 | 2012-15 |
| Municipal Solid waste on shell fishes | ||||||
| and fin fishes of Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam | ||||||
| 8 | Nanoparticulate | Dr. A Akhila Thomas | UGC | Government | 822067 | 2012-15 |
| phytonurients embedded aqua feed formulation-assessment into delivery | ||||||
| efficiency and effect in Oreochromis mossambicus | ||||||
| 9 | Conservation | Dr.Sherly Williams E | Western Ghat Cell-WGC | Affairs Department,Government of Kerala | 763400 | 2012-15 |
| of certain indigenous fishes of Western Ghats and use of Low cost Larval | ||||||
| rearing technology for development as candidate aquacultutre species | ||||||
| 10 | Zoopalnkton as | Dr Mary Teresa P | UGC | Government | 250000 | 2016-18 |
| candidate bio-indicatorsin the biomonitoring | Miranda | |||||
| of trace metals along the coast of Kerala, India | ||||||
| 11 | Plankton | Dr. Sarlin P J | KSCSTE | Government | 1871600 | 2016-18 |
| Community structure and dynamics along the coast of Arthungal in Kerala, | ||||||
| South west coast of India | ||||||
| 12 | Studies on | Dr Sherly Williams E | KSCSTE | Government | 1466080 | 2017-19 |
| the effect of pollutants on Plankton diversity of Vattakayal , Kollam | ||||||
| 13 | A Study and | Dr. Sarlin P J | KSCSTE | Government | 10000 | 2017-18 |
| DNA Barcoding of few Metazoan parasites of Mackeral Rastrelliger Kanagurta | ||||||
| (Cuvier), a commercially important marine fish of Kerala | ||||||
| 14 | Assessment of microplastics in | Dr. Sarlin P J | KSCSTE | Government | 10000 | 2018-19 |
| table salt from Kerala | ||||||
| 15 | Occurrence | Dr Vijayasree A S | SERB | Dr. Vijayasree A.S. | 14,22,340 | 2022-24 |
| and current Status of | ||||||
| Soft shell turtles in Urban and rural wetlands of Southern Kerala. | ||||||
| for the formulation of conservation strategies | ||||||
| Research scholars currently working in the Department of Zoology | |||||
| Sl. No | Name of Scholar | Research Guide | Order #
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| 1 | Jeniffer Ann Thomas | Prof. P J Sarlin | Ac.EVI/119/ZOO/19385/2019
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| 2 | Megha M | Prof. P J Sarlin | Ac.EVI/119/ZOO/18723 /2019
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| 3 | Gayathry S | Prof. P J Sarlin | Ac.EVI/117/ZOO/19410/2019
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| 4 | Aidamol P, | Prof. P J Sarlin | Ac. EVI/720/ZOO/23207/ UOK
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| 5 | Oygan J. | Prof. P J Sarlin | Ac. EVI (3)/2207-3005009/ZOO/2022/UOK
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| 6 | Darshitha S, | Prof. P J Sarlin | Ac. EVI(3)/2207-3005010/ZOO/2022/UOK
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| 7 | Sruthi S.R. | Prof. P J Sarlin | AcEVI(3)/25013005005/ZOO/2025UOK
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| 8 | Akshay M.A.
| Prof. P J Sarlin | AcEVI(3)/25013005010/ZOO/2025UOK |
| 9 | Gayathry R | Dr Vijayasree A S | AcEVI/6908/2026/UOK DATED 31.07.2026
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| 10 | Irshad I | Dr Bindu V S (MSM College, Kayamkulam)
| AcE(3)/22073005014/ZOO/2022/UOK |
| 11 | Neena Narayanan | Dr Latha (MSM College, Kayamkulam) |
AcE1/A2/17871/2019 DTD 24/04/2020/UOK
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