![Text Box:]()Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Dr. Niya Benny Mob: +91
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[niyabenny0106@gmail.com](mailto:niyabenny0106@gmail.com)![]()
**Education**
Ø **PhD** (2018-2023):
Department of Marine Biology,
Microbiology and Biochemistry at
Cochin University of Science and
Technology, Kochi-16, India.
**Coursework CGPA 9.25** **PhD
Thesis:** Biocenosis of
microphytobenthos in the selected
mangrove ecosystems of Southwest coast
of India Ø **M.Sc. in Marine
Biology** (2016-2018): Department of
Marine Biology, Microbiology and
Biochemistry, Cochin University of
Science and Technology (CUSAT),
Kochi-16, India. **CGPA 8.97 (First
Class with distinction and University
3rd rank).** **Master's Thesis**:
Zooplankton diversity in coastal
waters of Sundarbans during winter
monsoon **In Zoological Survey of
India (ZSI), Kolkata,** Government of
India Ministry of Environment, Forest,
and Climate Change Ø **B.Sc. in
Zoology** (2013-2016): St. Xavier's
College for Women, Aluva, Kerala,
Affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi
University, Kottayam, Kerala, India.
**CCPA 9.51 (First Class with
Distinction)** **Bachelor's Thesis**:
A Study on breeding biology and
population of Giant African Snail
(*Achatina fulica*) and its management
in Thonniyakavu, Paravoor municipality
in Ernakulam District, Kerala Ø
**Plus Two** (2011-2013): Board of
Higher Secondary Examination in St.
Philomina's Higher Secondary School in
Koonammavu, Ernakulam **Mark
Percentage: 89.91%** Ø
**Matriculation** (2001-2011): Board
of Public Examinations, Kerala in St
Joseph's Higher Secondary School
Koonammavu, Ernakulam **Grade: Five A+
and Five A** **List of
Publication**
**Research publications**
1. **Niya
Benny**, Lathika Cicily Thomas, and
K.B. Padmakumar (2021). Community
Structure of Microphytobenthos
Associated with Mangrove Ecosystems
Along the Southwest Coast of
India. *Estuaries and Coasts*,
44(5): 1380-1391 (IF: 2.8).
2. **Niya
Benny**, Lathika Cicily Thomas, and
K.B. Padmakumar (2021). Environmental
influences on the cyanobacterial mat
formation in the mangrove ecosystems
along the southwest coast of India.
*Marine Ecology,* 42(6): e12685*.*
(IF: 1.693).
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/maec.12685
3. **Niya
Benny,** Lathika Cicily Thomas,
Padmakumar K.B. (2024) Analysis of
climatic and edaphic variabilities on
the microphytobenthic mat
characteristics of a riverine mangrove
ecosystem along the south-west coast
of India., *Aquatic Ecology,*
AECO-D-23-00178.
[https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-023-10084-0](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-023-10084-0)
(IF: 1.8)
4. Jeslin, I.
J., **Niya Benny**, Lathika Cicily
Thomas, and K.B. Padmakumar (2021).
Short term spatio-temporal
variabilities of microphytobenthic
assemblages in the mangrove ecosystems
along the southwest coast of India.
*Wetlands Ecology and Management*,
29(5): 689-702. (IF: 2.358).
5. Twinkle
Sathish, Lathika Cicily Thomas,
Aishwarya, **Niya Benny**, and K. B.
Padmakumar (2020). First recorded
bloom of *Akashiwosanguinea*
(Dinophyceae) from the Cochin
backwaters, a tropical estuarine
system along the South Eastern Arabian
Sea. *Oceanological and
Hydrobiological Studies,* 49(4):
391-397. (IF: 0.821).
6.
Purushothaman, J., Siddique, A.,
Bhowal, A., Mohan, S., Chandra, K.,
**Benny, N**., and Vivek, M. A.
(2020). Swarms of ctenophore
*Pleurobrachia pileus* (O. F. Müller,
1776) in the waters of Sundarban: A
menace to the fisheries? *Indian
Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences*,
49(06): 1089-1092. (IF: 0.496).
7. Seema K and
**Niya Benny** (2017) A Study on
Breeding Biology and Population of
Giant African Snail (*Achatina
fulica*) and its Management in
Thonniyakavu, Paravur Municipality in
Ernakulam District Kerala, Life
Sciences International Research
Journal Vol 4, Issue 2. ISSN 2347 –
8691. **Under Review:**
8. Amal
K.S, **Niya Benny**, Lathika Cicily
Thomas, K. B Padmakumar., Ephemeral
analysis on microphytobenthos in an
estuarine system along the southwest
coast of India. *Wetlands Ecology and
Management,* Submission ID
0f6e569b-d1ae-4689-a914-289a4ffb8f29.
**Conference proceedings**
1. **Niya
Benny**, Lathika Cicily Thomas, and K.
B Padmakumar - "Temporal variation in
the community structure of
microphytobenthos in a riverine
mangrove ecosystem of southwest coast
of India" in the International Online
Conference on Environmental Status of
Estuarine and Coastal Ecosystems in
India (ECEI-2022) organised by the
Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Kerala,
Thiruvananthapuram during 26th - 28th
January 2022
2. Amal K. S,
**Niya Benny** and K. B. Padmakumar -
"Microphytobenthic community of cochin
backwaters-a tropical estuarine
complex along the southwest coast of
India: an ephemeral analysis" in the
International Online Conference on
Environmental Status of Estuarine and
Coastal Ecosystems in India
(ECEI-2022) organised by the
Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Kerala,
Thiruvananthapuram during 26th - 28th
January 2022
3. Amal K S,
**Niya Benny** and K. B. Padmakumar -
[Short Term Variability of Benthic
Diatoms of Cochin Estuary- Southwest
Coast of
India](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358634891_Short_Term_Variability_of_Benthic_Diatoms_of_Cochin_Estuary-_Southwest_Coast_of_India),
in 34th Kerala Science Congress (KSC)
during 10th- 12th February 2022
Thiruvananthapuram, organized by
*Kerala State Council for Science,
Technology and
Environment* (*KSCSTE*).
4. **Niya
Benny** and K. B. Padmakumar - Species
composition and biodiversity
assessment of microphytobenthos in the
intertidal mangrove ecosystem along
the southwest coast of India, pp.199,
International Indian Ocean Science
Conference - IIOSC-2022, sponsored by
the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES),
Govt. of India and will be held during
14-18 March 2022 in Goa, India,
co-hosted by the National Institute of
Oceanography (NIO), Goa, National
Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
(NCPOR), Goa, Goa University and
Indian National Centre for Ocean
Information Services (INCOIS),
Hyderabad, India.
5. **Niya
Benny,** Lathika Cicily Thomas and K.
B. Padmakumar (2020). Benthic
cyanobacteria of Mangrove ecosystems
along the southwest coast of India.
International Conference on "Impact of
Climate Change on Hydrological cycle,
Ecosystem, Fisheries and Food Security
(ClimFishCon 2020), Kochi, Kerala,
India. pp.150. Organized by CUSAT
School of Industrial Fisheries in
collaboration with the Department of
Fisheries, Kerala. 1. **Niya Benny**,
Lathika Cicily Thomas and K. B.
Padmakumar (2021). Pennate Diatoms of
intertidal Mangrove ecosystems of the
Southwest Coast of India: A New Record
of *Psammodictyon panduriforme*
(W.Gregory) D.G. Mann 1990. Book of
Abstract, webinar on Conservation of
Life Below Water: Perspectives on
Systematics, Sustainable Livelihoods
and Citizen Science" (COLIBA-2021) pp.
31. Organized by Department of Aquatic
Biology and Fisheries, University of
Kerala 7.
**Niya Benny** (2020). Ecological
succession of microphytobenthos
associated with riverine mangrove
forest in the Cochin backwaters,
southwest coast of India; Aquaculture
& Marine Biology 2020; July 20-21,
2020; Barcelona, Spain.pg No:3.
8. **Niya
Benny,** Lathika Cicily Thomas, and K.
B. Padmakumar (2019). Community
structure of Microphytobenthos
associated with mangrove ecosystems
along the Southwest coast of India.
MARICON 2019-International
conference on Frontiers in Marine
Science-Challenges and Prospects,
Kochi, Kerala, India. pp. 153**.**
Organized by the School of Marine
Science, Cochin University of Science
and Technology.
**ISBN:978-81922264-3-9**.
9. Jeslin I.
J, **Niya Benny,** Lathika Cicily
Thomas, and K.B.
Padmakumar (2019). Benthic
Microalgae of "open" and "closed"
Mangrove ecosystems along the
Southwest coast of India. Abstract
Volume. MARICON 2019-International
conference on Frontiers in Marine
Science-Challenges and Prospects,
Kochi, Kerala, India. pp. 153.
Organized by the School of Marine
Science, Cochin University of Science
and Technology.
**ISBN:978-81922264-3-9.** 10.
Jeslin, I. J., **Niya Benny**, Jerry
Amal John and K. B. Padmakumar (2019).
Taxonomic characterization and
Biodiversity of Microphytobenthos in
Mangrove Ecosystems along the
Southwest coast of India.
Environmental status of Estuarine and
coastal ecosystems in India.
Proceedings of the National Seminar on
Environmental Status of Estuarine and
Coastal Ecosystems in India,179-181.
**ISBN: 9789353469269.** Organized by
the Department of Environmental
Sciences, University of Kerala,
Thiruvananthapuram. **11.
Niya Benny,** Jeslin, I. J and K. B.
Padmakumar (2019). Benthic Diatoms of
Mangrove ecosystems along the
Southwest coast of India, 175.
Abstract Proceedings-International
Conference on Benthos. **ISBN
978-81-936217-5-2.** Organized by the
Department of Marine Biology,
Microbiology & Biochemistry, and
School of Marine Sciences CUSAT 12.
**Niya Benny,** Sunil, S. C and K. B.
Padmakumar (2019). Spatial
distribution of Mesozooplankton along
the South Eastern Arabian Sea during
early summer monsoon. 31st Kerala
Science Congress at Fatima Mata
National College, Kollam. pp. 82-83.
**ISBN No: 81 - 86366 - 97 – 0.**
Organized by Kerala State
Council for Science, Technology and
Environment (KSCSTE). 13. **Niya
Benny** and Jasmine. P (2018).
Zooplankton diversity in coastal
waters of Sundarbans during winter
monsoon. Book of Abstract. National
Seminar on Recent advances in zoology,
on 16th October 2018, organized by
Department of Zoology, University of
Kerala, Trivandrum. pp. 4-5. 14.
Seema K and **Niya Benny** (2017). A
Study on breeding biology and
population of Giant African Snail
(*Acatina fulica)* and its management
in Thonniyakavu,Paravur Muncipality in
Ernakulam District, Kerala. *Recent
Trends in Biodiversity, Climate change
and Environmental Sciences*. IMRF
International Publishing House, pp.
67-74. **ISBN: 978-93-86435-16-3.**
Organized by Nirmala College for
Women, Red Fields, Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu, India and International
Multidisciplinary Research Foundation
**Experience** Ø Experience in
Zooplankton sorting and analysis as
part of Master of Science in Marine
Biology, Dissertation work entitled
"Zooplankton diversity in coastal
waters of Sundarbans during winter
monsoon" in Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata in 2018. Ø Field
experience in sampling
microphytoplankton and
microphytobenthos along with
biogeochemical variables. Worked on
sediment and water samples. **Awards**
Ø Rank holder (3rd rank) in
Cochin University of Science and
Technology, Kochi, 2016-2018 Ø
College topper in St. Xavier's College
for Women Aluva, 2013-2016. Ø
Bracketed 10th Rank in MG University,
Kottayam for BSc. Zoology, 2013-2016.
**Achievements** Ø First prize
in paper presentation competition in
Life Science at Albertian
International Educational Expo 2017
Ø First prize in essay
competition on the topic 'Our Ocean,
Our Future' conducted by Society of
Marine Biologists (SOMB), CUSAT, 2017
Ø Second prize in paint a poem
competition organized by St. Xavier's
college for women, Aluva in 2015.
**Skills** Ø Worked as
General Secretary of Society of Marine
Biologists (April 2019-December 2021)
and
organized more than 10 programs
Ø Knowledge in PRIMER v7,
ORIGIN, R-Programming, SPSS, Microsoft
Word, Excel, and Power point Ø
SCUBA diving and snorkeling experience
Ø National Service Scheme (NSS)
volunteer, 2013-2015. Interests
Ø Marine Ecology Ø
Fisheries and Aquaculture Ø
Planktonology Ø Marine
Conservation Biology Ø Marine
Botany Ø Marine Biotechnology
Ø Marine bio-geochemistry
**Workshops, Seminars and
Conferences**
Ø Participated in
Navakeralam-Yuvakeralam Student Meet,
interaction with Honourable Chief
Minister of Kerala held at Cochin
University of Science & Technology
on 1st February 2021. Ø
Participated in the UGC Sponsored
"Online Webinar on Artificial
Intelligence" organized by UGC – Human
Resource Development Centre, Gujarat
university, Ahmedabad on 1st February
2021. Ø Participated in
the UGC Sponsored "Online Webinar on
Ethics & Research" organized by
UGC – Human Resource Development
Centre, Gujarat university, Ahmedabad
on 24th February 2021. Ø
Participated in the Webinar on
Conservation of freshwater fishes of
Western Ghats: Status, Challenges and
Opportunities organized by Association
of Fisheries Graduates on 6th February
2021. Ø Participated
on PRIMER v7 & PERMANOVA
WORKSHOP organized by Department
of Marine Biology, Microbiology and
Biochemistry, School of Marine
Sciences, Cochin University of Science
and Technology (CUSAT) from 14th to
25th June, 2021 Ø
Participated and oral presentation in
the International Online Conference on
Environmental Status of Estuarine and
Coastal Ecosystems in India
(ECEI-2022) organised by the
Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Kerala,
Thiruvananthapuram during 26th - 28th
January 2022 on "Temporal variation in
the community structure of
microphytobenthos in a riverine
mangrove ecosystem of southwest coast
of India" (**Oral presentation**).
Ø Participated in International
webinar "Conservation of Life Below
Water: Perspectives on Systematics,
Sustainable Livelihoods and Citizen
Science" during March 18th - 20th,
2021 (**Oral presentation**). Ø
Participated in Webinar on Aquaculture
and Marine Biology, AQUA 2020 held
during 19th October, 2020 organized by
Meetings International, and presented
a paper on "Ecological succession of
microphytobenthos associated with
riverine mangrove forest in the Cochin
backwaters, southwest coast of India"
(**Oral presentation**).
Ø Participated in the 2020
International Conference on Data
Science and Engineering (ICDSE) (3-5th
Dec 2020) and attended the online
workshop on Machine Learning with
Python and Google Colab (5th Dec 2020)
organised by the Department of
Computer Science, Cochin University of
Science and Technology, Kerala, INDIA
and technically co-sponsored by IEEE
Kerala Section. 1. Participated
in the webinar on "CRISPR-Cas Based
Genome Manipulation: A Revolutionary
Tool for Modern Biology" organised by
Department of Biosciences, Union
Christian College, Aluva on 7th
November 2020. 1.
Participated in Disaster Risk and
Vulnerability Conference (DRVC 2020)
on October 9th -10th and 16th -17th,
2020, organized by School of
Environmental Sciences, MG University,
Kottayam, Kerala. 1. Attended
International Webinar SOFI 2020 on
15th -17th October 2020, organized by
School of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin
University of Science and Technology
(CUSAT), Kochi, Kerala, India.
1. Participated in ClimFishCon, an
international conference on the impact
of climate change on the hydrological
cycle, ecosystem, fisheries and food
security and it is themed as Climate
change effective adaptations from 11th
-14th February 2020 and presented a
paper on "Benthic cyanobacteria of
mangrove ecosystems along the
southwest coast of India" (**Oral
presentation**). 1.
Participated in International
Conference on Frontiers in Marine
Science Challenges and Prospects,
MARICON 2019 organized by School of
Marine Science, CUSAT from 16th - 20th
December 2019 at Kochi, Kerala,
India and presented a paper on
"Community structure of
microphytobenthos associated with
mangrove ecosystems along the
Southwest coast of India" (**Oral
presentation**). 1. Attended
workshop on R- Programming for
Biological Research, held from 17th
June to 5th July, 2019 organized by
the Society of Marine Biologist
(SOMB), Department of Marine Biology,
Microbiology and Biochemistry, School
of Marine Sciences, Cochin University
of Science and Technology. 1.
Participated in the workshop on
Applications of Granulometry,
Mineralogy and Geochemistry in the
studies of Marine Sediments from 22nd
to 24th, July 2019 jointly organized
by Marine and Coastal Survey Division,
Geological Survey of India, Mangaluru,
Dept. of Marine Geology and
Geophysics, CUSAT and Geo Marine
Society as a part of Bhuvisamvad
programme launched by Ministry of
Mines, Govt. of India. 1.
National Seminar on Environmental
status of Estuarine and Coastal
Ecosystems in India, organized by
University of Kerala and Estuarine
Coastal Sciences Association in
Kerala, India, during 14th -16th,
March 2019. 1. International
Conference on Benthos, ICB-19,
organized by Department of Marine
Biology, Microbiology &
Biochemistry, and School of Marine
Sciences CUSAT from March 6th -8th,
2019. Participated and presented a
poster on the topic "Benthic diatoms
of mangrove ecosystem along the
Southwest Coast of India" (**Poster
presentation**). 1. Kerala
Science Congress at Fatima Mata
National College, Kollam on 2nd and
3rd February, 2019. Participated and
presented a paper on the topic
"Spatial Distribution of
Mesozooplankton along the South
Eastern Arabian Sea during the early
summer monsoon" (**Oral
presentation**). 1. Conference
on Integrating Biogeochemistry and
Ecosystem in a changing oceanic
environment organized at KUFOS-INCOIS
center of Kerala University of
Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) on
17th and 18th January 2019. 1.
National workshop on "Prospects and
Challenges in Algal Studies",
organized by Post graduate and
research, Department of Botany in
Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta on
5th and 6th October 2018,
sponsored by Kerala State Council for
Science, Technology and Environment.
Ø Participated in
National Seminar on Recent advances in
zoology, on 16th October 2018
organized by Department of Zoology,
University of Kerala, Trivandrum
(**Oral presentation**).
Ø Participated in National
Workshop on "Mud banks of Kerala:
Status, Issues and
Social
concerns " conducted by CSIR –
National Institute of Oceanography
(NIO), 2017. Ø Presented
a paper on "A study on the Breeding
Biology and Population of Giant
African Snail (*Achatina fulica*) and
its management in Thonniyakavu,
Paravoormunicipality in Ernakulam
district, Kerala" in Albertian
International Educational Expo, 2017
(**Oral presentation**).
Ø Presented a paper on "A study
on the Breeding Biology and Population
of Giant African snail (*Achatina
fulica*) and its management in
Thonniyakavu, Paravoor municipality in
Ernakulam district, Kerala" at the
International Conference on
Biodiversity, Climate Change and
Environmental Sciences -2017 (**Oral
presentation**). Ø
Attended National Seminar on "Marine
Ecosystem Health" conducted by the
Department of Marine Biology,
Microbiology and Biochemistry, CUSAT,
2017. Ø Attended a
seminar on "Climate Change and
Sustainability of Ocean Resources" as
a part of India International Science
Festival (IISF) 2017 conducted by
CMLRE at Kochi. Ø
Attended National seminar on "Main
streaming Biodiversity", organized by
P.G. & Research Department of
Zoology, Maharaja's College,
Ernakulam, December 2017.
Ø Attended seminar on "Modern
Aspects of Applied Entomology" in
Maharajas College, Ernakulam in 2016.
Ø Successfully Completed
the Communicative English Trainer
Programme under The Training Partner
scheme, Additional Skill Acquisition
Programme (ASAP) in 2016.
Ø Attended National Seminar on
'Integrating Taxonomy to DNA
Bar-coding' in St. Xavier's college
for women, Aluva, 2015. Ø
Participated in World Ocean Science
Congress 2015 Kochi, Kerala, India.
Ø Attended a seminar on
organic farming organized by the
Department of Lifelong Learning and
Extension in collaboration with
National Service Scheme in 2013.
**Membership in Organization**
Ø Lifetime Member of the Society
of Marine Biologists - Membership No.
SOMB/ER/678/05/159 Ø Lifetime
Member of the Association of Fisheries
Graduates (AFG) - Membership No.
AFG/M/2020-21/021 **Personal
Profile**
Name
: Niya Benny
Gender
: Female Date of
Birth
: 20.09.1995 Religion and
caste :
Christian, Latin Catholic
Nationality
: Indian Marital
Status
: Married Languages
Known :
Malayalam - Read, write and speak
English
- Read, write and speak
Hindi
- Read, write and speak Permanent
address
: Nelkunnassery (H)
Chirakkakam
Varapuzha P. O
Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Pin- 683517 # Reference
# 1. Dr. A. A.
Mohamed Hatha
**Senior
Professor** Department of Marine
Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry
**Cochin University of Science and
Technology** **Kochi - 682022, Kerala,
India** #
[mohamedhatha@gmail.com](mailto:mohamedhatha@gmail.com)
#
Phone :
+91 8882197762, 9446866050 #
2. Dr. Swapna
P. Antony
**Assistant
Professor** Department of Marine
Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry
**Cochin University of Science and
Technology** **Kochi - 682022, Kerala,
India** #
[swapnapantony@cusat.ac.in](mailto:swapnapantony@cusat.ac.in)
# Phone: +91 8089131058
**Declaration** I, at this moment,
declare that the details and
information given above are complete
and accurate to the best of my
knowledge. **![]()** **Dr. Niya
Benny**