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Sri Lanka Dr. Asha De Vos is a distinguished marine biologist and ocean educator, pioneering blue whale research in the Northern Indian Ocean and advocating for local conservation efforts.
Dr. Asha de Vos is the Founder and Executive Director of Oceanswell, Sri Lanka's first marine conservation research and education organization. The organization focuses on engaging local partners in research and conservation efforts.
Dr. Asha De Vos contributed an essay titled 'Building equal partnerships for conservation success' to Open Book Publishers in 2025, focusing on engaging local partners in research.
Dr. Asha de Vos is affiliated with The Ocean Foundation as a staff member, recognized for her role as a Sri Lankan marine biologist and educator, and as the first Sri Lankan to earn a PhD in marine mammal research.
Dr. Asha de Vos is featured by the New England Aquarium, highlighting her distinguished research on blue whales in the Northern Indian Ocean.
CJS partnered with Dr. Asha de Vos and Oceanswell to support and grow Sri Lankan marine conservation efforts, unveiled during an event commemorating their ongoing collaboration.
Dr. Asha De Vos shares her story with the Minderoo Foundation, discussing the establishment of Oceanswell due to experiences with 'parachute science' and its impact on ocean protection.
The NRDC features Dr. De Vos's efforts to end 'Colonial Science' and her launch of the Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project in 2008, the first long-term study of this unique blue whale population.
Asha de Vos was born in 1979 in Sri Lanka. Her early inspiration to pursue a career in science came from reading National Geographic magazines, envisioning herself exploring places and discovering things previously unseen. She attended Ladies’ College, Colombo, and Colombo International School for her primary education. She then pursued higher education abroad, earning her undergraduate degree in marine and environmental biology from the University of St. Andrews. She continued her academic journey at the University of Oxford, where she obtained her master’s in integrative bio-sciences, and later completed her Ph.D. at the University of Western Australia. Dr. De Vos holds the distinction of being the first and only Sri Lankan to achieve a Ph.D. in marine mammal research.
Dr. De Vos founded the Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project in 2008, initiating the first long-term study of blue whales in the northern Indian Ocean. Her research led to the discovery of a unique, non-migratory population of blue whales residing year-round in Sri Lankan waters. This significant finding has resulted in the International Whaling Commission designating Sri Lankan blue whales as a species requiring urgent conservation research, prompting collaboration with the Sri Lankan government to address whale ship strikes. Dr. De Vos is an invited member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Cetacean Specialist Group. She also served as a senior program officer in the marine and coastal unit of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
In 2017, Dr. De Vos established Oceanswell, Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organization. Through Oceanswell, she promotes a philosophy of local leadership in conservation, challenging the traditional ‘parachute science’ model where foreign researchers conduct studies without investing in local capacity. Her advocacy focuses on empowering local communities and scientists, believing that genuine, sustainable conservation originates from within the regions being studied. She is also a Senior TED Fellow, a Duke University Global Fellow in Marine Conservation, and a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum, recognized for her significant contributions to marine science and conservation.
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