Dr. Debajit Sarma
Principal Scientist and Head
Aquaculture division
M.F.Sc. (F.R.M), Ph.D, D.B.M, FAEB, FZSI, FCFSI, D.Sc.

+91 22 2636 1446/7/8 | Extn: 408

debajit@cife.edu.in

Research Interests

  • Aquaculture of Freshwater Fishes
  • Conservation of aquatic resources
  • Fisheries resources and management.
  • Fish based Eco-tourism
  • Debajit Sarma, Vineeta Joshi, M. S. Akhtar, Ciji A, Prakash Sharma, Sarika Singh Kushwaha, Partha Das and A. K. Singh. 2017. Nutrient composition of six small indigenous fishes from NEH region and their contribution potential to human nutrition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences. (DOI :10.1007/s40011-017-0956-7.).
  • Pragyan Dash, T.R. Santilal, Raja Adil Hussain, S. K. mallik, N.N. Pandey, Debajit Sarma and A.K. Singh. 2018. The addition of probiotic bacteria to microbial floc, water quality, growth nonspecific, immune response and disease resistance Cyprinus carpio in mid Himalayan altitude. Aquaculture https://doi.org/10.1016/j. Aquaculture.2018.06.056 (Elsevier). Volume 495, 1 October 2018, Pages 961-969.
  • M. S. Akhtar, M. Rajesh, A. Ciji, P. Sharma, B. S. Kamalam, R. S. Patiyal, A. K. Singh, D. Sarma. Photo-thermal manipulations induce captive maturation and spawning in endangered golden mahseer (Tor putitora): A silver-lining in the strangled conservation efforts of decades.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. Aquaculture. 2018.08.003 ( Elsevier).
  • Debajit Sarma, A. K. Singh and Deepjyoti Baruah. 2018. A checklist on endemic ichthyofauna of Northeast India. Indian J. Fish., 65(3): 1-15, 2018. DOI: 10.21077/ijf.2018.65.3.60836-01.
  • Manchi Rajesh, Biju Sam Kamalam, Alexander Ciji, Md. Shabaz Akhtar, Nityanand Pandey, Subodh Guptab, Debajit Sarma, Narrotam Prasad Sahu, Atul Kumar Singh. 2019. Molecular characterisation and transcriptional regulation of muscle growth regulatory factors myogenin and myogenic factor 6 in the Trans-Himalayan cyprinid fish Schizothorax richardsonii. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 231 (2019) 188–200
  • Shaikhom Inaotombi and Debajit Sarma. 2020. Vegetation affects photoprotective pigments and copepod distribution in the Himalayan lakes: Implication for climate change adaptation. Science of the Total Environment 716 (2020) 137053.
  • Aishwarya Sharma, C. Siva, Shahnawaz Ali, Prabhati Kumari Sahoo, Rupak Nath, M.A. Laskar , Debajit Sarma. 2020. The complete mitochondrial genome of the medicinal fish, Cyprinion semiplotum: Insight into its structural features and phylogenetic implications. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. Volume 164, 1 December 2020, Pages 939-948.
  • Ritesh Shantilal Tandel, Pragyan Dash, Raja Aadil Hussain Bhat, Prakash Sharma, Kavya Kalingapuram, Maneesh Dubey, Debajit Sarma. 2020. Morphological and molecular characterization of Saprolegnia spp. from Himalayan snow trout, Schizothorax richardsonii: A case study report. Aquaculture. Volume 531( 2021), 735824
  • Shaikhom Inaotombi & Debajit Sarma (2020). Factors influencing distribution patterns of cyanobacteria in an upland lake of the Kumaun Himalayas, India, Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2020.1760190.
  • Pragyan Dash, Ritesh Shantilal Tandel , Nityanand Pandey , Paramita Banerjee Sawant, Debajit Sarma , Kiran Dube Rawat , Narinder Kumar Chadha.2021. Effects of rearing temperature on egg incubation, growth, standard metabolic rate, and thermal tolerance of chocolate mahseer, Neolissochilus hexagonolepis. Journal of Thermal Biology. 98 (2021) 102942.
  • Rakhi Kumari, Prakash Sharma, Debajit Sarma, G. M. Siddaiah, Maneesh K. Dubey, Isfaq Nazir Mir and P. P. Srivastava. 2021. Ontogeny and development of the gastrointestinal system in Indian walking cat fsh (Clarias magur) during its early development. Fish Physiol. Biochem. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-021-00957-2.
  • Tarang Kumar Shah, Ritesh Shantilal Tandel , Avdhesh Kumar, Raja Aadil Hussain Bhat , Pragyan Dash , Debajit Sarma. 2021. Chemical composition, antifungal activity and molecular docking of Himalayan thyme leaf extract (Thymus linearis) against fish pathogenic oomycete Saprolegnia parasitica. Aquaculture Volume 543, 15 October 2021, 736988.
  • Neetu Shahi, Sumanta K. Mallik , Debajit Sarma. 2022. Muscle growth in targeted knockout common carp (Cyprinus carpio) mstn gene with low off-target effects. Aquaculture. Volume 547, 30 January 2022, 737423.
  • Pragyan Dash a, Ritesh Shantilal Tandel, Raja Aadil Hussain Bhat, Debajit Sarma , Nityanand Pandey, Paramita Banerjee Sawant, Narinder Kumar Chadha. 2021. Spawning substrate preference and spawning behavior of chocolate mahseer, Neolissochilus hexagonolepis. Animal Reproduction Science. Volume 233, October 2021, 106847.
  • Anupam Pandey, Manchi Rajesh, Pratibha Baral, Debajit Sarma, Priyanka H. Tripathi, Md Shahbaz Akhtar, Alexander Ciji, Maneesh Kumar Dubey, Veena Pande, Prakash Sharma , Biju Sam Kamalam. 2021. Concurrent changes in thermal tolerance thresholds and cellular heat stress response reveals novel molecular signatures and markers of high temperature acclimation in rainbow trout. Journal of Thermal Biology. Volume 102, December 2021, 103124
  • Sarma, Debajit, Das, R., Akhtar, M. S., Ciji, A., Sharma, N. K. and Singh, A. K. (2016), Morpho-histological and ultra architectural changes during early development of endangered golden mahseer Tor putitora. J Fish Biol. doi:10.1111/jfb.13109.
  • Rajesh, M., Kamalam, B. S., Sharma, P., Verma, V. C., Pandey, A., Dubey, M. K., Ciji, A., Akhtar, M. S., Pandey, N., Sarma, D., & Kaushik, S. J. (2022). Evaluation of a novel methanotroph bacteria meal grown on natural gas as fishmeal substitute in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Aquaculture Research, 00, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/are.15735, 127039.
  • Raja Aadil Hussain Bhat, Dimpal Thakuria, Ritesh Shantilal Tandel, Victoria C. Khangembam, Pragyan Dash, Gayatri Tripathi, Debajit Sarma. Tools and techniques for rational designing of antimicrobial peptides for aquaculture. Fish and Shellfish Immunology 127 (2022) 1033–1050.
  • Debajit Sarma, Dinesh Mohan, Ravindra Posti, Mukul Arya and Parvaiz Ahmad ganie. 2023. The mighty mahseers of the genera Tor, Neolissochilus and Naziritor: A review on resource distribution, biology, ecotourism and conservation. Indian J. Fish., 69(4): 146-169, 2022. DOI: 10.21077/ijf.2022.69.4.125074-20.
  • Shahi, N.; Singh, B.; Mallik, S.K.; Sarma, D.; Surachetpong, W. RNA-Seq Reveals Differential Gene Expression Patterns Related to Reproduction in the Golden Mahseer. Fishes. 2023, 8, 352. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/fishes8070352

Other Publications

  • Research paper- 106
  • Books-11
  • Book Chapters-55
  • Popular articles-61
  • Other publication-60

• Number of completed project - 17

Other achievements

Significant achievements in research & development
  • Patent granted-1
  • Patent published-2
  • Technology commercialized-6
  • Technology registered-2
  • Copyright-6
Awards/ Honors
  • 2004-St. Anthony’s College, Don Bosco Institution, Shillong, Meghalaya
  • 2009-Assam Bhoreli Angling and Conservation Association, Nameri National Park, Assam.
  • 2010-Fellowship of Academy of Environmental Biology, Lucknow
  • 2011-Gold Medal, Academy of Environmental Biology, Lucknow
  • 2012-Vice-President, Academy of Environmental Biology, Lucknow
  • 2012-Founder Secretary of Coldwater Fisheries Society of India, DCFR, Bhimtal
  • 2015- Research, Extension and Education Excellence Award by Department of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
  • 2017- Certificate of Appreciation from Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Mizoram in 2017.
  • 2017- Certificate of Appreciation from Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Mizoram in 2017.
  • 2017-Certificate of Appreciation from Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Sikkim
  • 2017- Certificate of Appreciation from Jasingfaa Aqua Tourism Centre, Nagaon, Assam.
  • 2017- Fellowship of Zoological Society of India
  • 2018-Scientist of the Year during 2nd world Clean Environment Summit at Science City Auditorium, Kolkata, West Bengal.
  • 2018-Dalela Oration Award during 38th Annual Session of the Academy of Environmental Biology, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad, U.P
  • 2018-Eminent Scientist Award conferred at Milan Samity Maidan, Nimta, Belgharia, Kolkata Organized by Central Calcutta Science & Culture Organization for Youth.
  • 2018-IBRF Excellence Award
  • 2018- CFSI Honour
  • 2018-President of Coldwater Fisheries Society of India
  • 2018 & 19-Certificate of Appreciation from Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Nagaland
  • 2019-VRP Sinha award by ZSI
  • 2019-Fellowship by Coldwater Fisheries Society of India
  • 2020- Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Award from ICAR
  • 2021-Universioty Award by Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Assam