Gill Braulik
Dr Gill Braulik is a marine mammal conservation scientist with more than 25 years’ experience leading conservation efforts for some of the world’s most threatened cetaceans. A large focus of her work has been on pioneering surveys in data deficient areas, assessing abundance, habitat use, and status of highly threatened and poorly known river and coastal cetaceans in Asia and Africa. Dr Braulik completed multiple range-wide surveys of the Indus River dolphin in Pakistan, and conducted rapid assessments of cetaceans in Tanzania, Iran and Somaliland.
Her work has focused on the use of science to create conservation impact, including improved protections for species and habitats. She works to conduct baseline surveys in data deficient regions, and is dedicated to supporting and training local scientists to lead new initiatives.
Increasingly, Dr Braulik has a leadership role in global conservation policy and is planning and initiating regional collaborations to implement conservation efforts to answer important scientific questions on the world’s most threatened marine mammal species. She is one of the founding members of the Indian Ocean Humpback dolphin network (HuDoNet) and Deputy Chair of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group and the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force.
At present Gill is involved in a number of initiatives in Tanzania, Pakistan and globally:
- Assessment of Indus River dolphin status, trends and threats – Led by PhD Student Muhammad Asif, with WWF Pakistan
- East Africa coastal dolphin monitoring and assessment
Publications
Book and Book Chapters (7)
Collins T, Jog K, Plön S, Braulik G (2025) Atlantic and Indian Ocean humpback dolphins Sousa teuszii (Kükenthal, 1892) and S. plumbea (Cuvier, 1829). p109-154 In: Jefferson TA (ed) Ridgway and Harrison’s Handbook of Marine Mammals, Volume 1. Coastal Dolphins and Porpoises. Academic Press. Published.
Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Baldwin R, Braulik G, Collins T, and Natoli A. (2021) Marine Mammals of the Arabian Seas. p. 637-78. In: Jawad LA, editor. The Arabian Seas: Biodiversity, Environmental Challenges and Conservation Measures. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Braulik, G. T., Kelkar, N., Khan, U., Paudel, S., Brownell, R., and Abel. G. (2020). Indus and Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica): ex situ options for conservation. p79-99 In: Ex-situ options for cetacean conservation. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Published.
Obura, D. O., S. Bandeira, C. Bodin, V. Bourquin, G. Braulik, E. Chassot, G. M., M. Koczhius, M. Nicoll, H. Ralison, M. Richmond, P. Scheren and J.-F. Ternon. (2019). The Northern Mozambique Channel. p75-99 In: World Seas: an environmental evaluation. Volume II: The Indian Ocean to the Pacific. C. Sheppard (ed), Elsevier.
Braulik, G. (2018). Cetacean Identification Cards for Indian Ocean Fisheries. Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations.50pp. Published online:http://www.iotc.org/science/species-identification-cards
Smith, B.D. and Braulik, G.T. (2018) Susu and bhulan Platanista gangetica gangetica and P. g. minor. p. 967-970 In: Encyclopaedia of Marine Mammals. Third Edition(eds B. Würsig, J.G.M. Thewissen and K.M. Kovacs). Academic Press.
Braulik, G.T., 2014. Platanistidae. In: D. Wilson and R. A. Mittermeier (eds) Handbook of Mammals of the World. Volume 4: Sea Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Spain.
Refereed Journal Papers (33)
Braulik, G., Kanwar, G., Nawab, A., Khan, M. S., Behera, S. K. and Rajkumar, B. (2024). A review of the status, threats and management priorities of a remnant population of Indus River dolphins in the Beas River, India. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 34(2): e4087.
Hoyt, E., Braulik, G., Lanfredi, C., Minton, G., Panigada, S., Politi, E., Zanardelli, M., and Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. (2024). Important Marine Mammal Areas celebrated—yet some are now in danger. Oryx 58(2): 146-147.
Braulik, G. T., Taylor, B. L., Minton, G., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Collins, T., Rojas-Bracho, L., Crespo, E. A., Ponnampalam, L.S., Double, M.C. and Reeves, R. R. (2023). Red-list status and extinction risk of the world’s whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Conservation Biology 2023;e14090.
Plön, S., Norman, S., Adam, P.-A., Andrianarivelo, N., Bachoo, S., Braulik, G., Collins, T., Estrade, V., Griffiths, O., Inteca, G., Khan, N., Marinesque, S., Mederic, E., Mwang’ombe, M., Olbers, J., Ramoelintsalama, L., Reeve-Arnold, K., Rocha, D., Gullan, A., Saloma, A., Vermeulen, E., Vitry, H., Wilkinson, C. and Dulau, V. (2023). Spatio-temporal trends in cetacean strandings and response in the south-western Indian Ocean: 2000-2020. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 24(1): 95-119.
Kasuga, M. P., Varisanga, M. D., Davenport, T. R. B., Jiddawi, S. N., Braulik, G. T. (2022). Abundance, spatial distribution and threats to Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in an Important Marine Mammal Area in Tanzania. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science 21(1). 1-14.
Marsh, C. J… (50 authors)..Braulik, G.T…et al., (2022). Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities. Journal of Biogeography. 49 (5), 979-992.
Tetley, M. J., Braulik, G. T., Lanfredi, C., Minton, G., Panigada, S., Politi, E., Zanardelli, M., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. and Hoyt, E. (2022). The Important Marine Mammal Area Network: A Tool for Systematic Spatial Planning in Response to the Marine Mammal Habitat Conservation Crisis. Frontiers in Marine Science 9. 10.3389/fmars.2022.841789.
Mohsenian, N., Methion, S., Moshiri, H., Hassan, S. K., Afkhami, S., Tollab, M. A., Sadeh, M., Braulik, G. T. and López, B. D. (2022). Abundance estimation, group dynamics, and residence patterns of Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) in the Dayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park, Northern Persian Gulf, Iran. European Journal of Wildlife Research 68(2):17.
Momblanch, A., Kelkar, N., Braulik, G., Krishnaswamy, J. and Holman, I. P. (2022). Exploring trade-offs between SDGs for Indus River Dolphin conservation and human water security in the regulated Beas River, India. Sustainability Science. 17: 1619-1637.
Braulik, G. T., Archer, F., Khan, U., Imran, M., Sinha, R. K., Jefferson, T. A., Donovan, C., and Graves, J. (2021). Taxonomic revision of the South Asian River dolphins (Platanista): Indus and Ganges River dolphins are separate species. Marine Mammal Science 37(3).
Braulik, G., Reeves, R. R., and Taylor, B. L. (2021). Recent cetacean taxonomic changes and conservation action. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 37(10): 3011-3012.
Braulik, G. T., Kasuga, M., and Majubwa, G. (2020). Local ecological knowledge demonstrates shifting baselines and large-scale decline of sawfish (Pristidae) in Tanzania. African Journal of Marine Science. 42: 67-79.
Mohsenian, N., Moshiri, H., Tollab, A., Bargahi, H. R., Braulik, G. T., Gemmell, G. L., and Collins, T. (2019). Confirmed sightings of the Killer Whale, Orcinus orca, in Iranian waters (Mammalia: Cetacea). Zoology in the Middle East 65 (3): 280-282.
Braulik, G.T., Kasuga, M., Wittich, A., Kiszka, J.J., MacCaulay, J., Gillespie, D., Gordon, J., Said, S.S., Hammond, P.S. (2017). Cetacean rapid assessment: an approach to fill knowledge gaps and target conservation across large data deficient areas. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.2833.
Braulik, G.T., Wittich, A., Macaulay, J., Kasuga, M., Gordon, J., Davenport, T.B.R., Gillespie, D. (2017). Acoustic monitoring to document the spatial distribution and hotspots of blast fishing in Tanzania. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 125, 360-366.
Braulik, G. T., K. Findlay, S. Cerchio and R. Baldwin. (2015). Assessment of the Conservation Status of the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin (Sousa plumbea) Using the IUCN Red List Criteria. Humpback Dolphins (Sousa spp.): Current Status and Conservation. Animal Conservation: 72: 119-141.
Braulik, G.T., Arshad, M., and Reeves, R. (2015). Review of status, threats, and conservation management options for the endangered Indus River blind dolphin. Biological Conservation 192:30-41.
Braulik, G. T., Arshad, M., Noureen, U. and Northridge, S. (2014). Habitat fragmentation and species extirpation in freshwater ecosystems: causes of range decline of the Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor). PLoS ONE. 9(7): e101657.
Mohsenian, N., Moshiri, H., Sedighi, O. S. K., Norbakhsh, S., Heidary, S., Shamili, K. S., and Braulik, G. T. (2014). The first long-beaked common dolphin mass stranding in Iranian waters. Marine Biodiversity Records 7: e64.
Braulik, G. T., Barnett, R., Odon, V., Islas-Villanueva, V., Hoelzel, A. R., and Graves, J. A. (2014). One species or two? Vicariance, lineage divergence and low mtDNA diversity in geographically isolated populations of south Asian river dolphin. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 21(2): DOI 10.1007/s10914-10014-19265-10916.
Minton, G., Peter, C., Poh, A.N.Z., Ngeian, J., Braulik, G., and Tuen, A. A. (2013). Population estimates and distribution patterns of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) and finless porpoise (Neophoceana phoceanoides) in the Kuching Bay, Sarawak. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 61(2).
Braulik, G. T., Reichert, A. P., Ehsan, T., Khan, S. Alexander, J.A.S, Northridge, S., Garstang, R. (2012). Habitat use of a freshwater dolphin in the dry season. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater ecosystems 22: 533-546.
Braulik, G. T., Bhatti, Z. I., Ehsan, T., Hussain, B., Khan, A. R., Khan, A., Khan, U., Kundi, K., Rajput, R., Reichert, A. P., Northridge, S. P., Bhaagat, H. B., and Garstang, R. (2012). Robust abundance estimate for endangered river dolphin subspecies in South Asia. Endangered Species Research 17: 201-215.
Braulik, G.T., Ranjbar, S., Owfi, F., Amind, T. Dakhteh, S. M. H., Kamrani, E., Mohsenizadeh, F. (2010). Marine mammal records from Iran. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 11(1):49-63.
Braulik, G. T., Savadkouhi, O. S., Fadakar, S., Mohammadi, H., Brownell Jr., R. L., Reeves, R. R., Nabavi, M. B., and Fernandez, A. (2010). A retrospective investigation of two dolphin mass mortality events in Iran, Autumn 2007. Zoology in the Middle East 49:13-26.
Smith, B.D., Braulik, G., Strindberg, S., Mansur, R., and Diyan, M.A.A. and Ahmad, B. (2008). Habitat selection of freshwater-dependent cetaceans and the potential effects of declining freshwater flows and sea-level rise in waterways of the Sundarbans Mangrove forest, Bangladesh. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 19:209-225.
Braulik, G.T. (2006). Comprehensive status assessment of the Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor). Biological Conservation 129(4): 579-590.
Turvey, S. T., Barrett, L. A., Braulik, G. T., and Wang, D. (2006). Implementing the recovery programme for the Yangtze River dolphin. Oryx 40:255-260.
Wang, D., Zhang, X., Wang, K., Wei, Z., Wursig, B., Braulik, G. T., and Ellis, S. (2006). Conservation of the baiji: no simple solutions. Conservation Biology 20:623-625.
Smith, B.D., Braulik, G., Strinberg, S., Ahmad, B. and Mansur, R. (2006). Abundance estimation of Ganges River dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica) and Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) using independent concurrent counts in waterways of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh. Marine Mammal Science 22(2):1-21.
Smith, B. D., Braulik, G., Jefferson, T. A., Chung, B. D., Vinh, C. T., Du, D. V., Hanh, B. V., Trong, P. D., Ho, D. T., and Quang, V. V. (2003). Notes on two cetacean surveys in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 51:165-171.
Smith, B.D., Ahmed, B., Edrise, M. and Braulik, G. (2000). Status of the River dolphin, Shushuk, Platanista gangetica, in Kaptai Lake and the Southeastern Rivers of Bangladesh. Oryx. 35 (1).
Jefferson, T. A., and Braulik, G. T. (1999). Preliminary report on the ecology of the finless porpoise in Hong Kong waters. IBI Reports 9:41-54.
Other Journal Papers
Braulik, G. T., Natoli, A., Sutaria, D., and Vermeulen, E. (2023). Sousa plumbea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species e.T82031633A230253271.
Braulik, G.T., Minton, G., Amano, M., Bjørge, A. (2023). Phocoena phocoena (amended version of 2020 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: eT17027A247632759.
Kelkar, N., Smith, B.D., Alom, M., Dey, S. Paudel, S., and Braulik, G. T. (2022). Platanista gangetica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T41756A50383346.
Braulik, G., Khan, U., Khan, M. I. and H. Aisha, H. (2022). Platanista minor. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T41757A50383490.
Tetley, M., Hoyt, E., Braulik, G., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Lanfredi, C., Minton, G., Panigada, S., Politi, E., Zanardelli, M. (2022). Guidance on the identification of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs). IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force. www.marinemammalhabitat.org. 67pp.
Braulik, G., Atkore, V., Khan, M. S., Malla, S. (2022). Review of Scientific Knowledge of the Ganges River dolphin. Commissioned by the World Bank. Available at riverdolphins.org.
Braulik, G., Jefferson, T.A. and Bearzi, G. (2021). Delphinus delphis (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T134817215A199893039.
Kiszka, J. and Braulik, G. (2020). Kogia breviceps. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T11047A50358334.
Kiszka, J. and Braulik, G. (2020). Kogia sima. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T11048A50359330.
Wells, R.S., Natoli, A. and Braulik, G. (2019). Tursiops truncatus (errata version published in 2019). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. e.T22563A156932432.
Braulik, G., Natoli, A., Kiszka, J., Parra, G., Plön, S. and Smith, B.D. (2019). Tursiops aduncus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. e.T41714A50381127
Braulik, G. (2019). Lagenorhynchus acutus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T11141A50361160.
Kiszka, J., Baird, R. and Braulik, G. (2019). Steno bredanensis (errata version published in 2020). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T20738A178929751.
Braulik, G. (2019). Stenella coeruleoalba. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T20731A50374282.
Braulik, G. (2018). Feresa attenuata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T8551A50354433.
Braulik, G. (2018). Lagenorhynchus cruciger. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T11144A50361701.
Braulik, G. (2018). Lissodelphis peronii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T12126A50362558.
Braulik, G. (2018). Tasmacetus shepherdi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T21500A50377701.
Braulik, G. and Jefferson, T.A. (2018). Lissodelphis borealis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T12125A50362415.
Braulik, G. and Jefferson, T.A. (2018). Stenella frontalis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T20732A50375312.
Braulik, G. and Reeves, R. (2018). Stenella longirostris (errata version published in 2019). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T20733A156927622.
Ashe, E. and Braulik, G. (2018). Lagenorhynchus obliquidens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T11145A50361866.
Dellabianca, N., Pitman, R.L. and Braulik, G. (2018). Phocoena dioptrica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T41715A50381544.
Jefferson, T.A. and Braulik, G. (2018). Phocoenoides dalli. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T17032A50370912.
Jefferson, T.A. and Braulik, G. (2018). Stenella clymene. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T20730A50373865.
Kiszka, J. and Braulik, G. (2018). Grampus griseus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T9461A50356660.
Kiszka, J. and Braulik, G. (2018). Lagenorhynchus albirostris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T11142A50361346.
Kiszka, J. and Braulik, G. (2018). Lagenodelphis hosei. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T11140A50360282.
Kiszka, J. and Braulik, G. (2018). Stenella attenuata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T20729A50373009.
Minton, G., Braulik, G. and Reeves, R. (2018). Globicephala macrorhynchus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T9249A50355227.
Minton, G., Reeves, R. and Braulik, G. (2018). Globicephala melas. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T9250A50356171.
Smith, B.D., Wang, D., Braulik, G.T., Reeves, R., Zhou, K., Barlow, J. and Pitman, R.L. (2017). Lipotes vexillifer. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T12119A50362206.
Braulik, G. T., Findlay, F., Cerchio, S., Baldwin, R., and Perrin, W. (2017). Sousa plumbea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T82031633A82031644.
Collins, T., Braulik, G.T. & Perrin, W. 2017. Sousa teuszii (errata version published in 2018). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T20425A123792572.
Jefferson, T.A., Smith, B.D., Braulik, G.T. and Perrin, W. (2017). Sousa chinensis (errata version published in 2018). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T82031425A123794774.
Minton, G., Smith, B.D., Braulik, G.T., Kreb, D., Sutaria, D. and Reeves, R. (2017). Orcaella brevirostris (errata version published in 2018). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T15419A123790805.
Parra, G., Cagnazzi, D., Perrin, W. and Braulik, G.T. (2017). Sousa sahulensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T82031667A82031671.
Kreb, D., Reeves, R.R., Thomas, P.O., Braulik, G.T. and Smith, B.D. (Editors). (2010). Establishing protected areas for Asian freshwater cetaceans: Freshwater cetaceans as flagship species for integrated river conservation management, Samarinda, 19-24 October 2009. Final Workshop Report (English version), Yayasan Konservasi RASI, Samarinda, Indonesia, 152 pp Available from https://iucn-csg.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/final_asian_freshwater_dolphin_workshop_report.pdf
Braulik, G. T., Reeves, R. R., Wang, D., Ellis, S., Wells, R. S. and Dudgeon, D. (2005). Report of the Workshop on Conservation of the Baiji and Yangtze Finless Porpoise Available from http://www.iucn-csg.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Brauliketal2005.pdf, Gland, Switzerland.