Dr. Asha de Vos to explore deep ocean of Sri Lanka at WNPS monthly lecture on Wednesday

Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator Dr. Asha de Vos will speak on “Beyond the realm of light: Exploring the deep ocean of Sri Lanka” at the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) monthly lecture on 12 June at 6 p.m. at Jasmine Hall, BMICH, Colombo 7.

The event is an unique opportunity to delve into the mysterious depths of oceans and witness ground-breaking discoveries first hand.

Dr. Asha de Vos, Sri Lanka’s first deep sea explorer, will share her exhilarating journey and never-before-seen footage from her deep-sea expeditions.

“This talk is more than an educational experience; it’s an invitation to marvel at the wonders of our planet’s most uncharted territories,” said WNPS.

WNPS said life below 200 m deep is as fascinating as life within the light-filled zones of oceans.

While light fades, life does not. Unfortunately, these zones are largely inaccessible without the right equipment and infrastructure and are often overlooked and underexplored.

Through this talk, Dr. De Vos will take on an adventure, from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans, with a first-hand account of becoming Sri Lanka’s first deep sea explorer and aquanaut travelling to a 1000 m in a submersible, her continued participation in international research expeditions searching for everything from deep-sea coral to bumping into dumbo octopuses.

“I will also share never-before-seen footage of some species living in the deep waters of our island home from our National Geographic Society-supported deep-sea expedition in 2022. My advice? Don’t miss out,” added Dr. de Vos.

She is the pioneer of long-term blue whale research within the Northern Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s first deep sea explorer, and strong advocate for diversity and equity in marine conservation. She is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Oceans Institute of the University of Western Australia. She has degrees from the University of St. Andrews, the University of Oxford and the University of Western Australia but escaped academia to establish her own Sri Lankan-grown non-profit, Oceanswell - Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organisation. Asha and her work have been showcased internationally by various media outlets, including BBC, the New York Times, TED and National Geographic. Amongst her most interesting and notable accolades, Asha is the first Sri Lankan woman to have her portrait hung at Oxford University.

She also has a deck on the MV Sylvia Earle cruise ship named after her. Further, her handwoven portrait is part of the ‘Women + Water’ exhibit at the Manitowish River Studio in the USA. She was listed on the BBC 100 Women 2018 list of most inspiring and influential women worldwide and named Lanka Monthly Digest’s Sri Lankan of the Year 2018. In 2020, Asha was awarded an inaugural Maxwell-Hanrahan award in field biology whilst also being named Scuba Diving Magazine’s Sea Hero of the Year. In 2021, she was awarded the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize. In 2023, she was named the equity and diversity champion of the British Ecological Society and an Osher Fellow at the California Academy of Sciences, USA. In 2024, Asha was appointed to the UN Secretary General’s 7-member Scientific Advisory Board.