Sharks & Rays Specialist in Sabah | Marine Biologist trained in Universiti Malaysia Sabah | Fish Conservationist | Nature Explorer
Dhivvian T
I was born and raised in Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. For as long as I can remember I have always been keen with wildlife, exploring the outdoors looking for spiders and tagging along fishing trips to see the different species of fish.
I was awe-inspired by the diversity of both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife in North Borneo, which led me to further my education at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and completed my degree in Marine Science in 2018.
While pursuing my degree, I’ve also worked with the Endangered Marine Species Unit of UMS, Reef Check Malaysia, etc. and conducted fieldwork around the North West Borneo part of South China Sea. With the Borneo Marine Research Institute, UMS, we studied Elasmobranch (sharks & rays) populations, which are rapidly dropping in number around the world.
Even though I have now stopped my formal research, I am still committed to apply my knowledge and skills on the conservation of Elasmobranch. Through citizen science and public education programs, I hope to raise awareness on sharks and rays among the indigenous coastal communities around Sabah.
Meanwhile, through special island trip and catch-and-release fishing with my friend Vincen, we hope to introduce more laypersons who can’t dive to the beauty and importance of marine ecosystems.
While most of my formal education and work leans toward marine research and conservation, I am still very much interested in the terrestrial wildlife in Borneo and hope to assist / collaborate in any future biodiversity / ecological survey, be it in the jungle or the sea. At heart, I simply want to connect with more people with same interests in a bid to conserve our natural world.
