Prof. S. M. Nurul Amin, Ph.D.

Governing Board Member | Bangladesh Nature Foundation

Dr. S. M. Nurul Amin is an internationally experienced fisheries and aquatic scientist and serves as a Governing Board Member of the Bangladesh Nature Foundation (BNF). With more than 25 years of professional experience in fisheries stock assessment, population dynamics, sustainable fisheries management, aquaculture production systems, aquatic biodiversity, and coastal and aquatic resource management, he brings substantial scientific and technical expertise to the governance and programme development of BNF. His extensive research, academic, project leadership, and community-oriented fisheries experience provides a strong scientific foundation for BNF’s work in aquatic ecosystem conservation, sustainable management of fisheries resources, biodiversity protection, and improvement of coastal and community livelihoods.

Academic Qualifications

Dr. Amin holds a PhD in Aquatic Biology from Universiti Putra Malaysia, where his doctoral research focused on the biology and population dynamics of sergestid shrimps. He obtained an MSc in Marine Science from the University of Chittagong, with research on the population dynamics of commercially important marine fish and shrimp in the Kutubdia Channel of Bangladesh coastal waters. He also completed a BSc (Honours) in Marine Science from the University of Chittagong. His academic training provides a strong foundation in aquatic biology, fisheries science, marine ecosystems, population dynamics, resource assessment, and sustainable aquatic resource management, all of which are relevant to BNF’s conservation and environmental programmes.

Professional Experience

Dr. Amin has held academic, research, and scientific positions in Bangladesh, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, and Australia. His professional appointments have included Visiting Researcher at Curtin University, Australia; Adjunct Professor at Curtin University Malaysia; Professor at World Fisheries University, Korea; Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia; Postdoctoral Researcher at Universiti Putra Malaysia; Assistant Professor at the University of Chittagong; and Scientific Officer at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute. Through these positions, he has developed extensive experience in fisheries research, aquatic ecosystem assessment, resource management, academic leadership, scientific supervision, and applied research, strengthening the technical capacity available to BNF for aquatic and coastal conservation initiatives.

Research and Scientific Expertise

Dr. Amin’s research expertise covers fisheries stock assessment and population dynamics, fisheries management and conservation, aquatic biodiversity assessment, fish larval ecology, estuarine and coastal ecosystem surveys, water-quality monitoring, environmental impact assessment, sustainable aquaculture, and aquatic resource management. His technical experience includes fisheries stock assessment modelling, population dynamics analysis, environmental monitoring, aquatic field sampling, statistical analysis, and assessment of coastal and estuarine ecosystems. His research on mangrove ecosystems, seagrass ecosystems, aquatic biodiversity, fish populations, hilsa, shrimp, molluscs, sea urchins, and other aquatic organisms is particularly relevant to BNF’s efforts to conserve aquatic and coastal biodiversity and promote sustainable management of natural resources.

Research Funding and Project Leadership

Dr. Amin has led more than 20 research projects and participated in numerous collaborative projects supported by international agencies, universities, government organisations, and development-oriented programmes. His project leadership has included research on conservation and management of aquatic species, seagrass ecosystem restoration and sustainable fisheries management through community participation, mangrove ecosystem biodiversity, fish spawning and nursery grounds, aquatic environmental assessment, sustainable aquaculture, and fisheries livelihood development. His experience in securing and managing substantial research funding strengthens BNF’s capacity to develop scientifically grounded projects, prepare competitive research and conservation proposals, establish institutional partnerships, and implement evidence-based environmental programmes.

Scientific Contribution and Collaboration

Dr. Amin has made extensive scientific contributions through peer-reviewed publications, books, book chapters, conference contributions, research collaborations, and international scientific engagements. His research includes important work on fisheries stock assessment, aquatic biodiversity, mangrove and seagrass ecosystems, environmental impacts on aquatic resources, sustainable fisheries management, aquaculture systems, and coastal ecosystems. His extensive collaboration with universities, research institutions, government agencies, international organisations, and community-based programmes provides BNF with valuable opportunities for scientific networking, interdisciplinary collaboration, technical consultation, and development of collaborative conservation and research initiatives.

Teaching, Mentorship and Capacity Building

Dr. Amin has extensive experience in university teaching, postgraduate supervision, scientific training, research methodology, scientific writing, and research proposal development. He has supervised undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral researchers in areas including fisheries population dynamics, aquatic biodiversity, mangrove ecology, seagrass ecosystems, aquaculture, fisheries management, water quality, fish biology, and aquatic environmental assessment. This experience contributes to BNF’s capacity-building objectives by supporting the development of researchers, field personnel, students, and conservation practitioners and by strengthening scientific approaches to biodiversity assessment, fisheries management, ecosystem monitoring, and community-based conservation.

Leadership and Institutional Service

Dr. Amin’s professional career reflects extensive leadership in academic research, project implementation, scientific supervision, community-oriented fisheries development, and institutional collaboration. He has led multidisciplinary research projects and community and industrial initiatives involving sustainable fisheries management, seagrass ecosystem conservation, coastal fisheries management, and livelihood improvement. His experience in coordinating research teams, supervising researchers, managing externally funded projects, and collaborating with national and international institutions provides valuable institutional expertise for BNF’s governance, programme planning, research coordination, and strategic development.

Role at Bangladesh Nature Foundation

As a Governing Board Member of the Bangladesh Nature Foundation (BNF), Dr. S. M. Nurul Amin contributes his extensive expertise in fisheries science, aquatic biodiversity, fisheries resource assessment, sustainable fisheries management, and coastal and estuarine ecosystems to the Foundation’s institutional and programme development. His role includes providing scientific and technical guidance for BNF’s initiatives related to aquatic and coastal ecosystem conservation, biodiversity assessment, sustainable fisheries resource management, environmental monitoring, and community-based conservation. His experience in research leadership, international collaboration, community-oriented fisheries management, and conservation-focused projects further supports BNF in developing evidence-based programmes, strengthening institutional partnerships, and promoting sustainable management of aquatic resources and ecosystem services.

Professional Contribution to BNF

As a Governing Board Member, Dr. Amin contributes specialised expertise in fisheries science, aquatic biodiversity, coastal and estuarine ecosystems, fisheries resource assessment, sustainable fisheries management, and community-based aquatic resource conservation. His professional experience can support BNF in strengthening its aquatic and coastal conservation programmes, developing scientifically robust assessments of fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, promoting sustainable management of natural resources, and integrating community participation into conservation initiatives. His experience in seagrass and mangrove ecosystem research, fisheries livelihood programmes, environmental monitoring, and internationally funded research further strengthens BNF’s ability to develop evidence-based conservation projects and partnerships focused on biodiversity protection, ecosystem sustainability, and community resilience.