CPCL and the Chennai Oil Spill

The Chennai Petroluem Corporation Limited and the Chennai oil spill.

Vizhinjam Port Protests

In her Mongabay piece, Supriya Vohra outlines how loss of marine biodiversity and livelihoods has been accelerating because of the Adani - Kerala Govt. Vizhinjam International Seaport. Since then, protests from the fishing community have intensified, and even painted a religious colour by the Kerala government. Cartoon from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

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.

Sea Pangolin and Deep Sea Mining

I never thought I'd ever use a Marvel reference in my comics, but here I am, because explaining the plight of this deep sea 'Iron Man' called for it! Meet the endangered Sea Pangolin, one of the many creatures threatened by deep sea mining for polymetallic nodules.

Special thanks to my friend and Marvel fan Anuradha Kulkarni for giving me a crash course on Iron Man because my knowledge about the Marvel universe is zilch. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Draft Marine Fisheries Bill

On the Draft Marine Fisheries Bill from my column with The Hindu.

Nurdle Pollution

The Sri Lankan coastline has been ravaged by nurdle pollution after the vessel MV Xpress Pearl had afire accident, resulting in the death of thousands of marine animals, and likely to start showing its impacts on human health soon. Sri Lankan marine biologist Asha De Vos and her organization Oceanswell.org are tackling the problem through their 'Nurdle Tracker', where volunteers can upload data on nurdles which will help cleaning efforts. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

South China Sea Conflict and Marine Life

On the impacts of the South China Sea conflict on marine life, from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Great Nicobar Port

What will be the ecological cost of the 10,000 crore transshipment port being planned at the Great Nicobar Island? Cartoon from my column with The Hindu.

The Mauritius Oil Spill

On the oil spill by Japanese vessel MV Wakashio off Mauritius, which has prompted the government of Mauritius to declare a national emergency in the country, from my Gocomics page. The spill is expected to endanger marine life and livelihoods in an unprecedented manner.

Coral Jewellery

On the unsustainability of coral jewellery from my column with The Hindu. (PS- The book the little girl in the comic is reading, is Pratham Book's 'Dive', by the brilliant Rajiv Eipe).

Indian Research on Coral Bleaching

A new study by marine biologists (lead author T. Thinesh of Pondicherry University) delves into previously unexplored details of coral bleaching. These findings are bound to help reef recovery and translocation efforts across Indian marine waters. Join the Powder Tang fish (yes, that's really the name of this species) to kkow more, in this comic from my column with The Hindu.

Wildlife Photography Exhibitions Then and Now

Wildlife photography then and now. Happy World Oceans' Day.

(The seahorse clinging to the earbud pays reference to an actual image by photographer Justin Hofman.) Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Mumbai Coastal Road

Presenting Mumbai's coastal road, yet another environmental disaster in the making. Other than marine life, artisanal fishing communities such as the Kolis are the project's worst victims.

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-day.

Apex Predators of the Sea

A comic on plastic pollution done for the Save our Seas Foundation, Seychelles.

Shrimp Trawling and Bycatch

How much does a shrimp/prawn dish cost? Anywhere between Rs. 100 to 2500 depending on where you're eating. But what is the cost of that plate of shrimp beyond the price you're paying?

For every kilogram of marine shrimp or prawn caught, four kilograms of bycatch is also trawled from the bottom of the sea (fact courtesy: http://knowyourfish.org.in/), making shrimp one of the most unsustainable kinds of seafood. Shrimp trawling not only takes an unimaginable toll on marine biodiversity, which includes sharks, rays, reef fish, dolphins and turtles, but also damages coral reefs and benthic ecosystems.

Ahead of World Oceans Day (8th June), I pledge to completely give up eating shrimp, at least unless India has banned trawling and more sustainable options are available. I hope you too will consider giving up, or at least reducing your shrimp consumption.

The comic appears in my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Happy Earth Day! Did you know that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is thrice the size of France now?

The cartoon appears in my Gocomics page. 

The Adventures of the Takeaway Box

More eat-in and less takeaway, please. And if you're planning a takeout, simply carry a bag or a lunchbox from home. Doable, right?

From my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

IUCN Status

The comic appears in Roundglass Samsara and The Hindu BL-ink.

Corals in Cartoons

A cartoon introduction to coral reefs done for Nature in Focus' Coral Awareness Week. The cartoons appear as a photo story on Nature in Focus here. 

Prints available on my webstore.

BP and the Amazon Reef

Coral Awareness Week begins tomorrow. Here's a comic on the Amazon Reef from my column with Mid-Day today. Clearly, we haven't learned from the Great Barrier Reef debacle, have we?