Janaka Desilva

Janaka deSilva is a highly experienced professional in ocean conservation and resource management, currently serving as the Senior Programme Coordinator for the Ocean Team at IUCN since September 2019. Janaka has a significant background in academia, having worked as an Adjunct Professor at County College of Morris from January 2015 to December 2017, where environmental science courses were delivered to non-science majors. Previous roles at IUCN include Program Manager for the Mangroves for the Future initiative and Program Coordinator focused on interdisciplinary approaches to natural resource management in Thailand. Janaka's early career included positions as an Associate Research Scientist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and as a Research Associate at Louisiana State University, where a significant study on Louisiana's coastal shark nursery habitats was conducted. Janaka holds a PhD in Oceanography and an MS in Fisheries with Applied Statistics from Louisiana State University, along with a Bachelor's degree in Fishery Science from the University of Plymouth.