Elrika D'Souza has been working on the ecology and conservation of dugongs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for several years. Her recently completed doctoral thesis documented  historical declines in dugong populations in the islands and attempted to identify the factors that led to this decline. Her work also explores the relationship between dugongs and the seagrass meadows they depend on.  She is currently working on a joint project with NCF and the A&N Forest Department to develop conservation strategies for the dugong within these archipelagos.