Our Story

Blue Resources Trust was founded to advance marine research and conservation through collaboration, science, and global partnerships. Since its inception, it has built capacity by providing opportunities for young researchers, forming international collaborations, creating long-term datasets for elasmobranch fisheries and coral reef monitoring, and helping shape international, regional, and national policy. Working closely with government agencies, BRT continues to bridge research and policy to promote evidence-based management and the sustainable use of marine resources.

We are registered as a non-profit in Sri Lanka (GA 3218).

A group of people on a boat sailing in open water with a visible shoreline in the distance, under a blue sky with few clouds.

Our Mission

Blue Resources Trust (BRT) aims to promote informed science-based decision-making to facilitate the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources and to provide a platform for scientists to expand research in the Indian Ocean. BRT also conducts education and awareness projects and encourages local community participation.

Two small boats resting on the sandy beach near the water, with a calm ocean and cloudy sky in the background.

Meet our Directors

  • Daniel Fernando - Co-Founder and Director. A man with glasses and a beard smiling, wearing a suit and tie, with a blurred background of greenery.

    Daniel Fernando

    CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

    Daniel directs the Fisheries and Policy Programme, focusing on advancing sustainable fisheries to protect sharks, rays, and chimaeras. For over a decade, he has supported policy under CITES and CMS, bridging science and policy. He has served as a ministerial advisor, IUCN SSC SSG Co-Vice Chair for the Indian Ocean, and is currently the CMS Scientific Council Vice Chair and an MCAF Fellow.

  • Nishan Perera, co-founder and Director. A man wearing glasses and a navy blue shirt standing indoors. Background includes white cabinet doors and a stack of white padded chairs.

    Nishan Perera

    CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

    Nishan leads the Coral Reef Programme. His interests are in coral reefs, fish ecology, and marine protected areas. In addition to being an avid scuba diver and underwater photographer, he has authored a book on the Coral Reefs of Sri Lanka and contributed articles to the Sri Lankan Airlines Serendib magazine, Explore Sri Lanka, Life Times Magazine, African Diver, Sport Diving Australia, and Magazyn Nurkowanie Poland.

  • Akshay Tanna - director. A man with dark hair and glasses wearing a blue polo shirt and standing outdoors with green trees in the background.

    Akshay Tanna

    DIRECTOR

    Akshay is operations director for the Fisheries and Policy Programme. This includes supporting programme development, leading project coordination, managing finance, conducting data analysis, and developing the electronic NDF for CITES. As a scuba and sailing instructor and experienced skipper, he is our designated safety officer and oversees technical operations and maintenance.

  • Susantha Udagedera - director. Man wearing sunglasses and a red shirt standing on a beach with rocky cliffs and the ocean in the background.

    Susantha Udagedera

    DIRECTOR

    Susantha heads the Seagrass and Climate Change Programme. His focus includes seagrasses and their ecology, as well as climate change adaptation to inform national conservation policy. He also works closely with Project Seagrass and the World Seagrass Association, serves as an expert evaluator for Sri Lanka’s National Red List, and is a member of the IUCN SSC Seagrass Specialist Group.