Dr. Karthick is a freshwater ecologist and diatom specialist at the MACS–Agharkar Research Institute, Pune. His research focuses on the diversity, ecology, and evolution of diatoms and their application in assessing water quality, reconstructing climate history, and understanding ecosystem change. He integrates classical taxonomy, molecular tools, and palaeoecological records to address both fundamental and applied questions in aquatic science. Dr. Karthick leads long-term monitoring programmes on Indian rivers, examining pollution gradients, heavy metals, and microplastics, and applies diatom-based indices for ecological assessment and freshwater restoration. He curates one of India’s most significant diatom collections, including historical samples dating back to the 1940s, and is actively engaged in public and school-level outreach. His broader interests lay at the interface of biodiversity research, environmental policy, and science education. Dr. Karthick holds a PhD in freshwater biodiversity and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, focusing on diatom taxonomy and biogeography. Prior to joining ARI, he worked at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and the University of North West, South Africa. He serves on the editorial boards of Scientific Reports, Phytotaxa, and Discovery Environment.
