Vishla Jayant Bhave

Young Naturalists (2009)

For his passion for the sea and his path-breaking scientific discovery of new species in coastal India.

Vishal Jayant Bhave, just 23 years old, has managed to discover as many as 80 new Opisthobranch that were previously unknown in India. He lives to study and protect the sea and was born and brought up in Ratnagiri, a small coastal town in Maharashtra. Aware that he needed academic credibility to back his passion, he completed his Masters in Oceanography from the University of Mumbai. Recognising his potential, the venerable Bombay Natural History Society offered him a coveted position as a Research Fellow, and mandated him to conduct studies in Ratnagiri, Gujarat, and Lakshadweep. They have even asked him to run their new Marine Centre in Ratnagiri, vital to keep an eye on the many polluting thermal power plants that are proposed for the region. He is an accomplished underwater photographer and promises to devote the rest of his life to the conservation of India’s fragile marine habitats and their flora and fauna.