Dr. Amit Sarkar is an aquatic biogeochemist by training. He pursued his PhD in Marine Geology (Biogeochemistry) from CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography and Mangalore University, India. His doctoral work on reductive nitrogen transformations in seasonal oxygen-deficient zones received the IMBeR’s Best Early Career Scientist Award (2013) and an invitation (one of twenty-six) to present at the prestigious NSF and NOAA sponsored DISCO symposium hosted by University of Hawaii (2016). Amit worked as a Project Scientist at India's National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (Ministry of Earth Sciences), where he investigated carbon dioxide cycling in the Indian and Southern Oceans, including coastal Antarctica. Amit has been instrumental in establishing Kuwait's first Marine Protected Area (MPA) under United Nations war compensation endowments. As a lead chemical oceanographer, he conducted research on dust storm impacts, harmful algal bloom monitoring, and greenhouse gas fluxes. He has participated in numerous oceanographic expeditions and has secured multiple competitive research grants throughout his research career.
- Associate Research Scientist, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Kuwait
- Project Scientist, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), India
- Ph.D. Marine Geology (Biogeochemistry), Mangalore University and CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, India
- M. Sc. Marine Science, Calcutta University, India
- B. Sc. Microbiology (Honours) Chemistry, Physics, Calcutta University, India
Education & Training
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=DMQKqyoAAAAJ
Sarkar, A., Al-Said, T., Naqvi, S.W.A., Ahmed, A., Fernandes, L., Madhusoodhanan, R., Thuslim, F., Yamamoto, T. and Al-Yamani, F., 2024. A preliminary study on benthic nutrient exchange across sediment-water interface s in a shallow marine protected area of the Northwestern Arabian Gulf. Marine Environmental Research, p.106420.
Madhusoodhanan, R., Al-Said, T., Sarkar, A., Fernandes, L., Ahmed, A., Yamamoto, T., Thuslim, F., Al-Dousari, A., Al-Zekri, W., Al-Enezi, M. and Al-Ghunaim, A., 2024. Aeolian dust and hydro-biological characteristics: Decoding dust storm impacts on phytoplankton in the northern Arabian Gulf. Science of The Total Environment, 911, p.168583.
Yamamoto, T., Madhusoodhanan, R., Sarkar, A., Alghunaim, A., Al-Said, T., Fernandes, L., Thuslim, F., Al-Zekri, W. and Al-Yamani, F.Y., 2024. Response of hydrodynamic and physico-chemical conditions to engineered forcing in an enclosed bay. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 305, p.108854.
Madhusoodhanan, R., Al-Yamani, F., Al-Said, T., Saburova, M., Al-Kandari, M., Yamamoto, T., Ahmed, A., Fernandes, L., Sarkar, A., Habeebullah, S.F.K. and Polikarpov, I., 2025. Environmental triggers and ecological implications of a harmful algal bloom in the northern Arabian/Persian Gulf: Insights into the driving forces and consequences. Science of the Total Environment, 960, p.178254
Sarkar, A., Mishra, R., Bhaskar, P.V., Anilkumar, N., Sabu, P. and Soares, M., 2021. Potential Role of Major Phytoplankton Communities on pCO2 Modulation in the Indian Sector of Southern Ocean. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 37(2), pp.531-548.
Roy, R., Vinayachandran, P.N., Sarkar, A., George, J., Parida, C., Lotliker, A., Prakash, S. and Choudhury, S.B., 2021. Southern Bay of Bengal: A possible hotspot for CO2 emission during the summer monsoon. Progress in Oceanography, 197, p.102638.
Steiner, Z., Sarkar, A., Liu, X., Berelson, W.M., Adkins, J.F., Achterberg, E.P., Sabu, P., Prakash, S., Vinaychandran, P.N., Byrne, R.H. and Turchyn, A.V., 2021. On calcium-to-alkalinity anomalies in the North Pacific, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 303, pp.1-14.
Martin, P., Lauro, F. M., Sarkar, A., Goodkin, N., Prakash, S., Vinayachandran, P. N.: Particulate polyphosphate and alkaline phosphatase activity across a latitudinal transect in the tropical Indian Ocean, 2018, Limnology and Oceanography, doi: 10.1002/lno.10780.
Sarkar, A., Naqvi, S.W.A., Lavik, G., Pratihary, A., Naik, H., Shirodkar, G. and Kuypers, M.M., 2020. Massive nitrogen loss over the western Indian continental shelf during seasonal anoxia: evidence from isotope pairing technique. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, p.678.
Pratihary, A., Lavik, G., Naqvi, S.W.A., Shirodkar, G., Sarkar, A., Marchant, H., Ohde, T., Shenoy, D., Kurian, S., Uskaikar, H. and Kuypers, M.M., 2023. Chemolithoautotrophic denitrification intensifies nitrogen loss in Eastern Arabian Sea Shelf waters during sulphidic events. Progress in Oceanography, p.103075.
Naqvi, S.W.A., Lam, P., Narvenkar, G., Sarkar, A., Naik, H., Pratihary, A., Shenoy, D.M., Gauns, M., Kurian, S., Damare, S. and Duret, M., 2018. Methane stimulates massive nitrogen loss from freshwater reservoirs in India. Nature communications, 9(1), pp.1-10.
Dr. Sarkar’s research interests revolve around understanding biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning both on the land and in the ocean. I integrate field observations, advanced analytical techniques, and process studies to investigate nitrogen and carbon dynamics in natural and anthropogenically perturbed aquatic environments and their feedback to the climate system through production and consumption of greenhouse gases. Ultimately, I aim to generate knowledge to support restoration, conservation strategies, and environmental sustainability in vulnerable aquatic ecosystems.