Sri Lanka, March 8 -- Marine biology has historically been a field dominated by Global North perspectives, but Dr. Asha de Vos is successfully shifting that tide. As the founder of Oceanswell, Sri Lanka's first marine conservation research and education organization, de Vos has spent 2026 advocating for "marine conservation liberalism" the idea that local communities must be the primary guardians of their own coastlines.South Asians & Diaspora

Known globally for her pioneering research on the non-migratory blue whales of the Indian Ocean, de Vos's work is increasingly focused on the intersection of climate change and ocean health. In the aftermath of recent regional climate disturbances, she has been a vocal proponent for evidence-based ...