After completing his doctorate in the Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, University of Madras, he joined M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in 1996 as a scientist-mangrove biologist. As a mangrove biologist, he has carried out extensive bio-physical surveys in the Godavari and Krishna mangrove wetlands of Andhra Pradesh. He is instrumental in executing the mangrove restoration activities jointly with the stakeholders such as the local community, forest department staff and the NGOs in Andhra Pradesh and restored about 900 ha of mangroves. His books on mangrove identification manual, mangrove nursery and mangrove restoration techniques were utilized by the forest department field staff. He has trained a large number of community members, PRIs, NGOs and forest department staff on the mangrove sylviculture practices. Recently, he established a mangrove genetic garden with 25 mangrove saplings collected from East and West Coasts of India jointly with the AP Forest Department in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. He is also working on halophytes and has established agronomic practices to grow halophytes in saline soils using saltwater. He is a member of the wetland management committee and REDD+Cell committee of the State of Andhra Pradesh. He has participated in several national and international training programmes/seminars and presented the work of the foundation. He has over 20 peer-review publications in journals and coauthored in 5 books and 10 chapters to his credit.
R. Ramasubramanian
