Almost Famous species: the wild side of 2020 from forest to backyard
Stretching from the Nicobar Islands very close to the equator to the Western Himalaya in the north, India covers about 30 degrees of latitude, with a long coastline on its…
Articles by Sandhya Sekar
Program Manager, Mongabay-India. Sandhya lives in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. She has been a freelance science writer since 2013, writing regularly for Indian and international news portals including the BBC, New Scientist, Science Now and The Scientist. She started as an intern with Mongabay in 2013 and began her current role as Program Manager of Monagabay-India in October 2017.
[Interview] Turning to science to find innovative solutions: plant biologist E. V. Soniya
For E. V. Soniya, a scientist with the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, science, and especially molecular biology, has been a lifelong passion. Her expertise in the basic…
Natural history notes from nature’s frontlines in India, for 2019
The 500 plus stories we carried in 2019 had two overarching themes – the national elections and the string of extreme weather events that left India reeling. Amidst discussions of…
What is seagrass?
What is seagrass? Seagrasses are marine flowering plants, found on all continents except Antarctica. They have roots, stems and leaves and produce flowers and fruits. They are closely related to…
Female seagrass flowers uncoil to reach pollen in undersea saga
For the underwater-dwelling tape grass Enhalus acoroides, pollination is an adventure where female flowers have their work cut out. The pinkish-green male flowers produce plenty of pollen, encased in long…
A ‘mysterious’ new frog species with hidden spots and an insect-like call
It was after a heavy spell of rain during the 2015 monsoon that Sonali Garg walked out to a spot she had been visiting regularly, and unsuccessfully, for more than…
All creatures great and small: Best of Almost Famous species 2018
The year 2019 is here, and with it there is a general feeling of excitement, which we all feel when something is "new". Before the feeling gets old, let's take…
(Commentary) Workplace well-being within ecology and conservation academic circles in India
It is 226 and counting. That is the number of respondents to a survey about workplace well-being and harassment in environment and conservation academic circles. The survey was circulated during…
A blood-red, snake-like burrowing fish from Meghalaya
A blood-red, snake-like creature with an elongated body and sightless black spots for eyes, was spotted burrowing into the moist soil of a rainforest in Meghalaya. Amphibian biologist Rachunliu G.…
[Photo-feature] Meet the new species of dragon lizards from the Western Ghats
The Western Ghats have revealed two new genera of dragon lizards from the family Agamidae -- Monilesauras and Microauris. Using a combination of extensive field surveys, detailed taxonomic analyses and genetic…
[Commentary] Hot and dry: What plants do when pushed to their very limits
About 10 percent of the world’s land surface experienced drought in 2005. The number is set to skyrocket over the twenty-first century to about 40 percent, as the globe warms…
When drought and extreme heat strike forests at the same time
The frequency of extreme weather events is going up around the world, and droughts and heatwaves are no exception. When the globe warms by 3-4 degrees - a possibility during…
Novel ‘begging’ behaviour observed in bonnet macaques at Bandipur
The visitor information centre at Bandipur Tiger Reserve is often a stage for a lot of monkey-human drama, with two troupes of bonnet macaques jostling with thronging tourists. Adult monkeys…
[Video] Tree crickets turn leaves into megaphones to attract mates
When a male tree cricket decides to serenade, he sometimes searches for a large leaf. He makes his way deliberately to the underside of the leaf, cuts out a pear-shaped…
The Eastern Ghats yield two new species of large geckos
It was a cold December day in Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh, India, and Zeeshan Mirza was not happy. He was on a faunal survey for the state government,…
Sykes’s lark: The male with more voices gets the mate
In the hot, arid grasslands of central and western India, a volley of birdsong is not always what it seems. It may not be a flock of different birds, but…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Health effects of heat stress will intensify disproportionately without ambitious efforts
- Climate action, pollution control needed to keep sulphur dioxide in check
- Unpacking the presence of microplastics in the Bay of Bengal
- Dumped plastic containers lead to mosquito abundance on the Lakshadweep islands
India's Iconic Landscapes
- All eyes on the next chapter: India prepares to host cheetahs after 70 years
- Farming becomes tough in Himachal’s cold desert with changing climate and crop pattern
- Manipur landslide sparks ecological debate
- The container terminal that could sink the Great Nicobar Island
Beyond Protected Areas
- Demand for sand in Bangladesh escalates illegal activities, threatens environment
- [Commentary] Mobilising resources for biodiversity conservation in the far eastern Himalayas
- Champhai district in Mizoram is now a hotspot for wildlife trafficking in India
- The elusive and endangered Sikkim grass lizard makes a rare appearance in Nepal
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Farmers fear low fruit production as Kashmir records decline in precipitation
- Scientists sequence chickpea genome which could inform crop improvement efforts
- [Video Explainer] What is the significance of the Biological Diversity Amendment Bill and why did it face opposition?
- Tackling agrobiodiversity loss in Odisha’s Similipal protected area
Just Transitions
- Land banks in Jharkhand may become a recipe for conflicts
- Unaccounted deaths lay bare the dark side of sand mining
- In the midst of coal shortage reports, a coal mine extension is approved in pristine Hasdeo forests
- As India looks to shift to renewables, Jharkhand’s coal mine workers fear loss of jobs and social security
