The Great African Seaforest

(Click on the image for a larger view)

In one of my lengthiest and most detailed illustration projects yet, I got the honour of working closely with the fabulous team at The Seachange Project (creators of the Oscar winning documentary 'My Octopus Teacher')- to create a vision of hope for the Great African Seaforest, a vast expanse of kelp forest in the Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of South Africa. From the glamorous Cape Fur Seal, Cape Clawless Otter and the African Penguin to little known klipfish and limpets, the Great African Seaforest is home to a myriad marine organisms that make the kelp a living, breathing, and a dancing ecosystem! Many of these creatures are threatened by overfishing and anthropogenic disturbances today, and conservationists at the Seachange Project are working towards establishing safe, undisturbed habitats for these species to bounce back.

The illustration is available as a freely downloadable resource on the organization's website here. A massive thanks to the Seachange team (Swati Thiyagarajan, Craig Foster, Carina Frankal, Dani Ehrlich, Jannes Landschoff) for trusting me with the illustration, for having me at Cape Town for a field visit, and for their patience through the project!

Whale Hybridization

New studies have found that hybridization between two of the largest animals on earth- the Blue Whale and the Fin Whale, is far more common than previously thought. What's more, some of these hybrids have also found to be fertile, indicating the occurrence to be beneficial particularly for the endangered Blue Whale! 

Cartoon for Roundglass Sustain. 

Marine Soundscapes and Ocean Health

Soundscapes recorded on acoustic recorders give us an idea of changes, both natural and human-made, to wild habitats.

What song would you play if you were a reef fish facing an acoustic recorder?

Cartoon for DW Environment.

The Male Anglerfish's Selfless Love

Can you ever love your partner as selflessly as the male Anglerfish loves Roshni?

Comic for Roundglass Sustain.

Sea Skate

Meet the sea skate, a cartilaginous fish closely related to the better known stingrays! Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

The cartoon also ran as a caption contest last month on Roundglass's social media platforms. Check out the winning entries here.

White's Seahorses and the Sydney Seahorse Project

White's Seahorses, endemic to southwest Pacific, and now receiving some much-needed royal treatment at 'seahorse hotels', thanks to the Sydney Seahorse Project! 

Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Which Gastropod Shell is Your Personality Type

Which gastropod shell is your personality type? Green Humour for Roundglass Sustain.

‘Gastropod personalities’ prints and merch are available on my webstore on Redbubble (shipped worldwide) and Happywagon (for orders within India).

Coral Reefs then and now

A mass bleaching event in Central America and the Caribbean has recently triggered fear among scientists that this could be the start of a global catastrophe. Why bleach something that's naturally a colour riot?

Cartoon for DW Environment.

Marine Biologist Dance Parties

I’ve never really been to a marine biologists’ dance party, but I’m sure this is how those weirdos celebrate!

Listen to some soulful Humpback Whale music here as you read this piece from my column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Deep Sea Worms

Deep sea worms are among nature's most enigmatic and mysterious creatures, so what if some of them are a bit awkwardly shaped? Comic for DW Environment.

Did you know that many such deep sea creatures could be lost to geothermal mining even before they're described by science?

Dolphin Babytalk

Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have found that higher pitched whistles that dolphin mums use for their young could be 'baby talk'! Cartoon from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Mother Orca Woes

Being a mom is no easy feat, especially when you're an Orca mom raising a son! Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. Happy Mothers' Day!

More on the quoted study here.

Tiger Sharks help Marine Biology

Bahamas’ Tiger Sharks, apart from being apex predators of the ecosystem, and seagrass and coral reef guardians, have now earned yet another specialty: helping marine biologists map seagrass beds! The seagrass ecosystem of the Bahamas Banks is the largest such ecosystem in the world. As carbon sequestration of seagrass beds happens to be one of the focuses of this research, this also makes Tiger Sharks climate warriors with a diploma to prove it!

Legal Personhood for the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef could soon be granted legal personhood! What do you think it’s first move will be?

Cartoon for DW Global Ideas’ social media page. Read more on the issue here.

Keystone Species Awards

Did you know that the total biomass of the Antarctic Krill, at 379000000 tonnes, is the largest animal biomass of any species on earth? And it is this tiny organism that sustains the entire continent of Antarctica (as well as other landmasses in the Southern Ocean).

I first came to know of this astonishing piece of trivia when I illustrated a panoramic habitat representation of the Antarctic Peninsula for Save Our Seas Foundation . Read more about how all life on Antarctica, right from tiny petrels to gigantic Humpback Whales, link back to the Antarctic Krill in the food web, on the article accompanying the illustration.

That’s one organism that ‘kreally’ deserves an award (and the limelight!)

The comic is a part of my ongoing collaboration with Europe’s leading news channel DW for their social media page. 

What Elasmobranchs think about the new CITES Regulations

Nearly 100 species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) were awarded protection in the form of an agreement on regulations on finning and trade between signatories to the CITES, at the conference held recently in Panama City this year. Here's what the elasmobranchs have to say about it!

Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain. Read more about the CITES regulations here. 

Some Bare Facts about Nudibranchs

Some bare facts about nudibranchs! Comic poster from my column with Roundglass Sustain. Prints and posters out on my Redbubble store for all you marine biology enthusiasts, and will soon be up on my Indian webstore as well. 

Marine Noise and Dolphins

Marine noise is a growing threat worldwide, to the ecology of dolphins and other cetaceans that rely on sonar for communication, navigation and feeding. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park

(Click on the images for a larger preview)

Revillagigedo, an archipelago of volcanic islands in Mexico, is a haven for island endemic wildlife and marine fauna, and North America's largest no-take marine protected area! Illustration for Save our Seas Foundation, which can be downloaded as a PDF from their website.

Thanks to SOSF for their continued association! Here are some close-up snippets from the illustration:

Population Control and Jellyfish

Overpopulation and jellyfish. Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain.