A Chulalongkorn University professor has made history as the first Thai to win the 2026 Pew Marine Fellowship for ocean conservation, focusing her research on developing technologies and methods to improve coral reef restoration in Southeast Asia.
According to reports, it is a cause for celebration that Prof. Dr. Suchana Chavanich, a faculty member of the Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, who also serves as Deputy Director of the Water Resources Research Institute and Deputy Director of the Academic Service Center at Chulalongkorn University, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation. She is the first Thai scientist to receive this prestigious award and the first Thai to earn a global honor in marine conservation.
The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation supports mid-career scientists and experts worldwide to advance knowledge and innovation in ocean conservation. The program awards fellowships to researchers with outstanding and recognized achievements, enabling them to conduct independent research projects over three years focused on marine conservation. This award is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and valuable honors in marine science.
Recipients of the 2026 fellowship will join Pew Marine Fellows’ international research network, which currently includes over 200 alumni worldwide collaborating to advance marine science and promote sustainable use of marine resources.
Prof. Dr. Suchana Chavanich’s research aims to develop new technologies and methods to enhance coral reef restoration in Southeast Asia, one of the world’s most coral-diverse regions. Her work includes developing coral breeding techniques through sexual reproduction and establishing sperm and egg banks using cryopreservation technology to maintain coral genetic diversity for restoration purposes.
Additionally, she studies juvenile corals to identify traits linked to resilience against heat stress. She also collaborates with local communities and government agencies to promote community-driven coral reef restoration and support sustainable marine resource use.
In 2026, a total of seven scientists from five countries—Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Thailand—were selected as Pew Fellows.
