Dr. Gunaalan Kuddithamby

B.Sc (UOR, SL), M.Sc (UCNW, ITL) and PhD (DTU, DM)

Senior Lecturer (Gr-II)

Specialised in Oceanography, Marine toxicology and Biostatistics

gunaa@univ.jfn.ac.lk

Academic Profile

11/2023-01/2024

Postdoctoral Researcher at Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua)

11/2020-10/2023

PhD Fellow at Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua), Denmark

09/2018-08/2020

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree on Water and Coastal Management (EMJMD WACOMA) ,University of Bologna, Italy; University of Algarve, Portugal; University of Cadiz, Spain

02/2013-07/2015

M.Sc. Disaster Analysis Management & Mitigation, Institute of Human Resource Advancement, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

11/2006-07/2011

B.Sc. (Hons)in Fisheries and Marine Science , Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science & Technology, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka

Admin Roles

12.02.2015 to date – Lecturer

                                     Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna

01.01.2013 to 11.02.2015- College Lecturer

                                        Ocean University of Sri Lanka, Jaffna Regional center

01.01.2013 to 11.02.2015- visiting Lecturer

                                         Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna

08.08.2011to 31.12.2012- Demonstrator

                                         Department of Limnology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine  Science and    Technology ( FFMST),University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka,

Dec 2010 to May 2011- Trainee Analyst

                                       Regional Laboratory of National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Jaffna, Sri Lanka,

 

Awards, scholarships & fellowship

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Scholarship for M.Sc. in Water and Coastal Management 2018-2020

Commonwealth scholarship 2018 (DENIED) Commonwealth Reference: LKCS-2018-667

Water and Society (WaSo) Fellowship for “Water and Wastewater Management”, A summer school from 18/06/2017 to 07/07/2017 at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Norway

Patents, Book chapters and research papers

  1. Ebbesen, L.G., Strange, M.V., Gunaalan, K., Paulsen, M.L., Herrera, A., Nielsen, T.G., Shashoua, Y., Lindegren, M., Almeda, R., 2024. Do weathered microplastics impact the planktonic community? A mesocosm approach in the Baltic Sea. Water Research 255, 121500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.121500
  2. Gunaalan, K., Almeda, R., Vianello, A., Lorenz, C., Iordachescu, L., Papacharalampos, K., Nielsen, T.G., Vollertsen, J., 2024. Does water column stratification influence the vertical distribution of microplastics? Environmental Pollution 340, 122865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122865
  3. Almeda, R., Gunaalan, K., Alonso-López, O., Vilas, A., Clérandeau, C., Loisel, T., Nielsen, T.G., Cachot, J., Beiras, R., 2023. A protocol for lixiviation of micronized plastics for aquatic toxicity testing. Chemosphere 333, 138894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138894
  4. Gunaalan, K., Almeda, R., Lorenz, C., Vianello, A., Iordachescu, L., Papacharalampos, K., Rohde Kiær, C.M., Vollertsen, J., Nielsen, T.G., 2023a. Abundance and distribution of microplastics in surface waters of the Kattegat/ Skagerrak (Denmark). Environmental Pollution 318, 120853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120853
  5. Gunaalan, K., Nielsen, T.G., Rodríguez Torres, R., Lorenz, C., Vianello, A., Andersen, C.A., Vollertsen, J., Almeda, R., 2023b. Is Zooplankton an Entry Point of Microplastics into the Marine Food Web? Environ. Sci. Technol. 57, 11643–11655.
  6. Warnasuriya, T., Gunaalan, K. and Gunasekara, S. (2018). Google Earth: A New Resource for Shoreline Change Estimation—Case Study from Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Marine Geodesy, 41(6), pp.546-580.
  7. Gunaalan, K., Ranagalage, M., Gunarathna, M., Kumari, M., Vithanage, M., Srivaratharasan, T., Saravanan, S. and Warnasuriya, T. (2018). Application of Geospatial Techniques for Groundwater Quality and Availability Assessment: A Case Study in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 7(1), p.20.
  8. Capolupo, M., Gunaalan, K., Booth, A.M., Sørensen, L., Valbonesi, P., Fabbri, E., 2021. The sub-lethal impact of plastic and tire rubber leachates on the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Environmental Pollution 283, 117081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117081
  9. Gunaalan, K., Fabbri, E., Capolupo, M., 2020. The hidden threat of plastic leachates: A critical review on their impacts on aquatic organisms. Water Research. 184, 116170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116170
  10. Ebbesen, L.G., Strange, M.V., Gunaalan, K., Paulsen, M.L., Herrera, A., Nielsen, T.G., Shashoua, Y., Lindegren, M., Almeda, R., 2024. Do weathered microplastics impact the planktonic community? A mesocosm approach in the Baltic Sea. Water Research 255, 121500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.121500
  11. Gunaalan, K., Almeda, R., Vianello, A., Lorenz, C., Iordachescu, L., Papacharalampos, K., Nielsen, T.G., Vollertsen, J., 2024. Does water column stratification influence the vertical distribution of microplastics? Environmental Pollution 340, 122865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122865
  12. Almeda, R., Gunaalan, K., Alonso-López, O., Vilas, A., Clérandeau, C., Loisel, T., Nielsen, T.G., Cachot, J., Beiras, R., 2023. A protocol for lixiviation of micronized plastics for aquatic toxicity testing. Chemosphere 333, 138894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138894
  13. Gunaalan, K., Almeda, R., Lorenz, C., Vianello, A., Iordachescu, L., Papacharalampos, K., Rohde Kiær, C.M., Vollertsen, J., Nielsen, T.G., 2023a. Abundance and distribution of microplastics in surface waters of the Kattegat/ Skagerrak (Denmark). Environmental Pollution 318, 120853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120853
  14. Gunaalan, K., Nielsen, T.G., Rodríguez Torres, R., Lorenz, C., Vianello, A., Andersen, C.A., Vollertsen, J., Almeda, R., 2023b. Is Zooplankton an Entry Point of Microplastics into the Marine Food Web? Environ. Sci. Technol. 57, 11643–11655.
  15. Warnasuriya, T., Gunaalan, K. and Gunasekara, S. (2018). Google Earth: A New Resource for Shoreline Change Estimation—Case Study from Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Marine Geodesy, 41(6), pp.546-580.
  16. Gunaalan, K., Ranagalage, M., Gunarathna, M., Kumari, M., Vithanage, M., Srivaratharasan, T., Saravanan, S. and Warnasuriya, T. (2018). Application of Geospatial Techniques for Groundwater Quality and Availability Assessment: A Case Study in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 7(1), p.20.
  17. Capolupo, M., Gunaalan, K., Booth, A.M., Sørensen, L., Valbonesi, P., Fabbri, E., 2021. The sub-lethal impact of plastic and tire rubber leachates on the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Environmental Pollution 283, 117081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117081
  18. Gunaalan, K., Fabbri, E., Capolupo, M., 2020. The hidden threat of plastic leachates: A critical review on their impacts on aquatic organisms. Water Research. 184, 116170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116170