about Suranjan karunarathna
I have studied wildlife conservation and management in Sri Lanka for over 17 years under various academic and research institutions. During this time, I gained experience on ecology and biodiversity conservation by working with a number of government and non-governmental organizations related to the environmental and wildlife sectors. I have a Master degree in environmental management, and provided leadership for numerous field-based research projects in Sri Lanka, mostly through my non-profit, Nature Explorations and Education Team. I have trained field biologists for both the government and the private sector. Under my leadership, I have conducted more than 25 different multi-year field-based projects and managed 4-10 team members per project in fieldwork as well as in data analyses, GIS-based modelling, and writing. I also provide leadership for numerous public outreach and informal educational activities related to biodiversity conservation and nature designed for different focal groups including general public, school and university students, local government agencies and non-governmental organizations in order to promote science-based conservation awareness. I worked as an ecologist for IUCN Sri Lanka, and as a country assistant for Born Free Foundation. I continue to serve as an expert committee member on herpetofauna in the National Red List Assessment since 2004. In addition, I conducted research into ecology, biology, behavior and taxonomy of threatened and endemic fauna in Sri Lanka, which provides vital information for nature conservation and policy planning. I am privileged to be a member of Monitor Lizard, Amphibian, and Crocodile specialist groups under the Species Survival Commission of IUCN.
Notable publications
Karunarathna, S., T. Surasinghe, M. Madawala, R. Somaweera & T. Amarasinghe (2017). Ecological and behavioral traits of the Sri Lankan water monitor (Varanus salvator) in an urban landscape of Western Province in Sri Lanka. Marine & Freshwater Research, 68(6): 1-11.
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Karunarathna, S., T. Amarasinghe, S. Henkanaththegedara, T. Surasinghe, M. Madawala, D. Gabadage & M. Botejue (2017). Distribution, habitat associations and conservation implications of Sri Lankan freshwater terrapins outside the protected area network. Aquatic Conservation, 27(3): 1-12.
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Karunarathna, S., S. Ranwala, T. Surasinghe & M. Madawala (2017). Impact of vehicular traffic on vertebrate fauna in Horton Plains and Yala national parks of Sri Lanka: some implications for conservation and management. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 9(3): 9928-9939.
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Karunarathna, S., S. Henkanaththegedara, D. Gabadage, M. Botejue, M. Madawala & T. Surasinghe (2017). Ecology and demography of the Critically Endangered Kandian Torrent Toad Adenomus kandianus: a long-lost endemic species of Sri Lanka. Oryx, 51(4): 619-626.
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Karunarathna, S., T. Surasinghe, M. Madawala, D. Kandambi, T. Priyadarshana & A. de Silva (2016). Natural history and conservation of Haly’s tree skink (Dasia haliana) in dry forests of Sri Lanka. Herpetological Conservation & Biology, 11(2): 272-279.
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Amarasinghe, T., P. Campbell, M. Madawala, M. Botejue, D. Gabadage, A. de Silva & S. Karunarathna (2016). The re-discovery of the live populations of Cnemaspis tropidogaster (Boulenger, 18885) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Sri Lanka after 120 years. Zootaxa, 4200(3): 395-405.
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Amarasinghe, T., P. Campbell, S. Chandramouli, K. Deuti, S. Raha, S. Karunarathna & I. Ineich (2016). Taxonomy of two endemic Indian skinks, Eutropis bibronii (Gray, 1838) and E. nagarjunensis (Sharma, 1969) (Reptilia: Scincidae), including redescriptions of their types. Zootaxa, 4154(2): 155-168.
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Amarasinghe, T., P. Campbell, S. Chandramouli, K. Deuti, S. Raha, S. Karunarathna & I. Ineich (2016). Taxonomy and natural history of Eutropis beddomei (Jerdon, 1870) (Reptilia: Scincidae), including a redescription of the holotype. Zootaxa, 4132(4): 509-520.
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Amarasinghe, A.A.T., I. Ineich, D.M.S.S. Karunarathna, M.S. Botejue & P. Campbell (2015). Two new species of the genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829 (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Sri Lanka, including a taxonomic revision of the Indian Sitana species. Zootaxa, 3915(1): 67-98.
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Amarasinghe, A.A.T., D.M.S.S. Karunarathna & J. Fujinuma (2014). A new Calotes species from Sri Lanka with a redescription of Calotes liolepis Boulenger, 1885. Herpetologica, 70(3): 323-338.
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Amarasinghe, A.A.T., D.M.S.S. Karunarathna, J. Hallermann, J. Fujinuma, H. Grillitsch & P. Campbell (2014). A new species of the genus Calotes (Squamata: Agamidae) from high elevations of the Knuckles Massif of Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 3785(1): 59-78.
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Karunarathna, S. & T. Amarasinghe (2013). Behavioral ecology and Microhabitat use by Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758): a monotypic genus in Sri Lanka (Reptilia: Agamidae: Draconinae) with notes on the taxonomy. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 20(1): 1-15.
our contribution
Through my non-profit organization Nature Explorations & Education Team and with other local and international collaborators, we intend to continue our research on biodiversity conservation in Sri Lanka while conducting nature education and awareness outreach activities. We will educate Sri Lankan general public and school students about biodiversity conservation and management through multiple informal events (nature camps, field trips, field workshops, and informal public lectures). Through these events, we will cultivate public interests and conservation enthusiasm on biodiversity among public, particularly the younger generation of Sri Lanka. We will publish our research in peer-reviewed indexed international journals and will present our research outcomes at accredited conference proceedings, both local and international. We plan to develop a professional framework to train field biologists from both government and private sectors in wildlife ecology, conservation and management.
We have developed professional networks with several governmental agencies, IUCN/SSC Species Specialist Groups, non-profit organizations, and community-based organizations. Our team has collaborated with the National Red Listing Program to assess the conservation status and management of Fish, Amphibian, Reptile, Bird and Mammal faunal groups. We have reached out to many government organizations like Biodiversity Secretariat, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Department of Forestry, Department of National Zoological Gardens, and Department of National Museum for information sharing and collaborative work. Through our correlation with the government organizations we have the ability to influence to consider our research findings when drafting National Biodiversity Conservation Action Plans. We also work in partnership with multiple non-profit organizations in Sri Lanka (Center for Environment and Nature Studies, Young Zoologist’s Association, Biodiversity Conservation Society, Wildlife Conservation Society, Biodiversity Education and Exploration Society) particularly in conducting the field surveys and research programs.
Research & Conservation collaborators
Botanist
Ornithologist
Wildlife Biologist
Zoologist
Malacologist
Herpetologist
Mammalogist
Malacologist
Zoologist
Odonatologist
Zoologist
Herpetologist
Wildlife Conservationist
Wildlife Conservationist
Ichthyologist
Ornithologist
Zoologist
Herpetologist