Kartik Shanker is a founder trustee of Dakshin Foundation. An ecologist by training, Kartik has interests in both mountain and marine systems. His work with marine turtles in the last 20 years has led to broader interests in coastal and marine conservation. Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore. At CES, where he also worked for his doctoral degree, Kartik supervises student research on a range of taxa including frogs, reptiles, birds, plants, reef fish and other marine fauna.  His work at Dakshin is embedded in the belief that those social, cultural and political contexts largely determine conservation outcomes.

To this end, Kartik works with colleagues to develop and implement community based resource monitoring programmes towards more participatory governance of these resources. In addition to academic research, he is also interested in strategies to improve environmental education and the public understanding of science. This interest encouraged Kartik to establish Current Conservation, a magazine that bridges conservation and art by bringing together research professionals, writers and artists from different parts of the world. He is the author of the book From Soup to Superstar, a historical account of sea turtle conservation in India. In his spare time, Kartik also seeks to distract young minds through children’s stories which include Lori’s Magical Mystery, Turtle Story, The Adventures of Philautus Frog, and Moonlight in the Sea.

Kartik teaches Philosophy of Science at Takshashila.