ECCN Team - Early Career Crocodile Network

Expert talk: Dr Brinky Desai

Today we had a fabulous talk from our resident mugger expert Dr Brinky Desai, co-founder of the Early Career Croc Network. Now Chief Scientist at the Mahim Pandhi Wildlife Foundation (https://pandhi.org/), Bhuj, India, Brinky took the hot seat to share highlights from her academic research on mugger crocodiles.

Dr. Gowri Mallapur - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network hosted Dr. Gowri Mallapur for an engaging Expert Talk session, where she shared insights into her professional journey spanning over 30 years of working with reptiles and her experiences in reptile research, conservation, and zoological institutions. Dr. Gowri spoke about her journey from working with

Nikhil Whitaker - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network hosted Nikhil Whitaker for an engaging Expert Talk session, where he shared insights into his academic and professional journey and his experiences working with crocodilians and other reptiles. Nikhil spoke about his journey from his academic background to working as Head Curator of Reptiles at

ECCN Speed-Networking Session-2022 - Asia

The Early Career Croc Network hosted an engaging Speed-Networking session bringing together ECCN members from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The session provided a wonderful opportunity for members to interact individually, introduce themselves, and share their experiences, research, and field stories. The exchange created a space for members

Dr. Gaurav Vashistha - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network hosted Dr. Gaurav Vashistha for an engaging Expert Talk session focused on his academic and professional journey as an early-career crocodilian researcher. Gaurav shared his experiences navigating his academic career, including the various challenges, ups and downs, and lessons from his PhD journey. His story

Dr. Agata Staniewicz - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network hosted Dr. Agata Staniewicz for an engaging Expert Talk session, where she shared insights into her academic journey and her experience working in the emerging field of crocodilian acoustics. Drawing from her research and field experiences, Agata introduced participants to the fascinating world of crocodilian

Phoebe Griffith - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network began its second year with its first session of 2023, bringing together both returning and new members of the network. Network member Phoebe Griffith presented findings from her recently completed thesis on gharial conservation in Nepal. Drawing from her fieldwork in Chitwan, she shared both

Dr. Marisa Tellez - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network was delighted to host Dr. Marisa Tellez for the Expert Talk session. Drawing on her experience as a crocodilian conservationist with the Crocodile Research Coalition, Dr. Tellez shared valuable insights and practical advice on one of the most important aspects of crocodilian conservation: working with

Mr. Robert Stuebing - Expert Talk

In 2022, the Early Career Croc Network had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Robert Stuebing for an engaging and insightful Expert Talk session. Drawing on his decades of experience in crocodilian research and conservation, Rob shared stories and insights from his remarkable journey working with crocodilians. Participants were particularly inspired

Dr. Grahame Webb -Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network was honoured to host Dr. Grahame Webb, former Chairman of the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group, for an Expert Talk with ECCN members. Drawing on his decades of experience in crocodilian conservation, Dr. Webb shared valuable insights into global crocodilian recovery programmes and the evolution of

Mr. Rainier Manalo - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Rainier Manalo, Program Director of Crocodylus Porosus Philippines Inc., as an Expert Speaker. With more than two decades of experience in crocodilian conservation, Mr. Manalo shared valuable insights into sustainable use, science-based management, and community-based conservation of crocodilians in

Dr. Sergio Balaguera-Reina - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network hosted Dr. Sergio Balaguera-Reina, a Colombian marine biologist and conservationist, for an Expert Speaker session exploring his journey in crocodilian research and conservation. Drawing from his experience working with crocodylians in the Greater Everglades and conducting conservation research across Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr.

Kate Mastro - Expert talk

Kate Mastro joined the Early Career Croc Network to share her professional journey and insights from more than 15 years with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The session highlighted the importance of mentorship, capacity building, and knowledge sharing in developing the next generation of conservation professionals. Kate also discussed the

ECCN Global Member Meet & Greet Sessions

At the end of the year, the Early Career Croc Network hosted a series of "Meet and Greet" sessions, providing new members from around the world with an opportunity to introduce themselves and share their work with crocodiles, gharials, alligators, and caimans. The sessions showcased the incredible diversity of research,

Colin Stevenson - Expert talk

Colin Stevenson joined the ECCN Expert Talk series to share his extensive experience and insights into the conservation of the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris). The session provided an overview of the species' conservation status, covering topics ranging from conservation action planning to IUCN Red List assessments. Colin also offered valuable

Dr. Matt Shirley - Expert talk

Dr. Matt Shirley took participants deep into the tropical forests and wetlands of West and Central Africa, sharing his remarkable journey of discovering three new crocodilian species. The session explored how innovative research tools—including environmental DNA (eDNA), telemetry, and distribution modelling—can be used to understand crocodilian populations and

Jailabdeen A. - Expert talk

In this ECCN Expert Talk, Jailabdeen A. explored the lesser-known world of gharial communication, taking participants from acoustic signals echoing through river systems to the fascinating role of chemical cues in gharials. The session highlighted how decoding subtle forms of communication can provide new insights into the behaviour and ecology

Action: we are now a global network!

Following positive feedback from current members, and enthusiastic requests to join from all over the world, we decided to take the Early Career Croc Network global! Wherever you are in the world, if you work with crocodilians, and you are early career or a young professional, go to our join

Talk

Savannah Boan - Expert talk

The Early Career Croc Network hosted Savannah Boan as an Expert Speaker, highlighting her extensive experience in crocodilian conservation, public outreach, and science communication. Drawing from her pioneering work at Gatorland and her efforts to change the narrative around crocodilians through global platforms and social media, Savannah shared valuable insights

Resources

Grant Information

Grant resources for early career and students. This list will be kept up to date frequently.

Meeting

Meeting: February 25

The next online meeting of the ECCN will be held on February 25, 2022 at 8pm Indian Standard Time. The meeting link has been sent to all members. This post will be updated with the highlights of the meeting.

Talk

Romulus Whitaker: Expert talk

Our inaugural talk was Rom Whitaker who has contributed so much to crocodile research in South Asia and beyond. Romulus Whitaker is one of the most respected herpetologists and wildlife conservationists, with a very rich history of working with crocodilians as well as other reptiles. He is the co-founder of

Meeting

First Meeting

The first meeting of the Early Career Crocodile Network was held online on January 21, 2022. The participants from across South Asia briefly shared a bit about their work and aspirations.