Prachi Hatkar
DES Pune University, Wildlife Institute of India, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Institute of Science, Terracon Ecotech Pvt. Ltd.
0000-0002-1009-726X
About
Dr. Prachi Sachchidanand Hatkar is a marine biologist and conservation scientist with over 14 years of experience protecting India's coastal biodiversity. She specializes in marine ecology, seagrass ecosystems, and endangered species such as dugongs and sea turtles.
She earned her PhD in Zoology from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, researching community structure and macrobenthos in seagrass meadows of Gujarat's Gulf of Kutch—critical dugong habitat. , her thesis advances habitat restoration and fisheries impact assessments
Early career at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography honed skills in intertidal surveys, coral reefs, mangroves, and Environmental Impact Assessments. NABET-accredited as Functional Area Expert for Ecology and Biodiversity, she supports sea turtle conservation in Maharashtra and dugong recovery programs.
Recipient of the Women's Divers Hall of Fame Dive Grant (first Indian woman), enabling advanced diving for marine research. Currently at Deccan Education Society, Pune University, she bridges science, policy, and communities for sustainable livelihoods.
Research interests: Ecology of threatened marine species, diversity in benthic communities, ecosystem services, and conservation-policy integration. Active peer reviewer, speaker, and networker (LinkedIn, ResearchGate). Open to collaborations in marine mammal recovery and seagrass restoration.
Employment
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DES Pune University Senior Research officer2025 - Present
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Wildlife Institute of India Project Associate2018 - 2025
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Terracon Ecotech Pvt. Ltd. SENIOR ANALYST2017 - 2018
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Ultratech India Limited Enviornmental Engineer2016 - 2016
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Detox Corporation Pvt. Ltd. SENIOR PROJECT SCIENTIST2016 - 2016
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Wildlife Institute of India Project Fellow2015 - 2015
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National Institute of Oceanography, India Project Assistant2012 - 2014
Education
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Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda PhD2021 - 2026
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Institute of Science Master of Science2010 - 2012
Projects & Funding
Projects & funding information is unavailable.
Publications (22)
- Understanding the ecology and conservation of Jerdon’s sea snake (Hydrophis jerdonii Gray, 1849) Save
- From genes to ecosystems: A multidisciplinary approach to understanding and conservation challenges for the short-tailed sea snake Hydrophis curtus (Shaw, 1802) in India Save
- Review on the enigmatic Data deficient Bombay sea snake Hydrophis mamillaris Daudin (1803) from India Save
- Ecological Insights and Conservation Perspectives on the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake Hydrophis platurus (Linnaeus, 1766) in Indian Waters Save
- Marine Benthic Diversity of the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat: A review Save
- Interpreting sea turtle stranding with reference to the spatiotemporal analysis of hotspots along Maharashtra: implications for sea turtle conservation in Maharashtra, India Save
- Insights into the rare Viperine sea snake, Hydrophis viperinus (Schmidt, 1852) Addressing research gaps along the Indian coastline Save
- Spatial prioritization of dugong habitats in India can contribute towards achieving the 30 x 30 global biodiversity target Save
- First distribution record of the Pamban sea slug, Marionia pambanensis O’Donoghue, 1932 (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Tritoniidae), from the Gujarat coast, India Save
- Review of stranding records of megaherbivore the Dugong (Dugong dugon, müller, 1776) in the Gulf of Kutch, India-an implication to the conservation of marine mammals in Gujarat. Save