Dr. Shawan Chowdhury
Guest Scientist
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Puschstraße 4
04103 Leipzig
Email
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+49 341 6025 2226
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Research Interests
My research interests are threefold: insect migration, insect conservation, and citizen science.
I collated evidence demonstrating that hundreds of butterfly species migrate, many of them across vast distances, something that was previously believed to be the case for only a few species. I mapped and modelled their migratory journeys, discovering that, unlike birds, butterfly migration is concentrated in the tropics, and migratory butterflies can rapidly colonise new areas. In addition, I discovered, sadly, that insects are poorly conserved, with 76% of insect species being inadequately covered by protected areas.
Currently, as a part of the sMon project, I am combining and analysing the German biodiversity data to identify the changes in the state of biodiversity in Germany. Here, I regularly communicate and work with the data providers and nature conservation societies across Germany. I have developed strong big data analysis, collaboration, evidence synthesis, geospatial, and quantitative skills. While my experience is largely insect-oriented, I am always open to extend my research to other taxa. Feel free to reach out if you want to discuss anything.
Scientific Career
since August 2022
Postdoctoral Research Associate; Ecosystem Services research group FSU, UFZ, and German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
October 2021 – July 2022
Research Assistant; Fuller Lab; The University of Queensland, Australia
April 2021 – August 2021
Data Analyst; Atlas of Living Australia; CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
March 17 – December 2017
Senior Sector Specialist, Entomology; BRAC Bangladesh
December 2016 – March 2017
Research Assistant; ActionAid Bangladesh
January 2018 – October 2021 [Degree awarded: May 2022]
PhD; School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia
Thesis: Insect migration and conservation
January 2015 – December 2016
MSc; Department of Zoology (Entomology), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
January 2011 – December 2014
BSc; Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Publications
Index:
You could use our publication index for further requests.
2025 (2)
- Lumbierres, M., David, A., Alcaraz-Segura, D., Alison, J., Álvarez-Presas, M., Anderle, M., Avci, F., Bajocco, S., Baldo, M., Beja, P., Bergamini, A., Bergami, C., Blanco-Aguiar, J.A., Boada, J., Bonn, A., Borges, P., Borgwardt, F., Borja, A., Breeze, T., Brotons, L., Brucet, P., Bruelheide, H., Buttigieg, P.L., Buzan, E., Calderón-Sanou, I., Camacho, A., Camacho-Santamans, A., Campanaro, A., Cani, A., Cariñanos, P., Carvalho, L., Castellan, G., Castro, A., Ceia-Hasse, A., Chiannuci, F., Chowdhury, S., C. Lima, A. et al. (2025):
EuropaBON EBV workflow templates
Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.10971094 - Oh, R.R.Y., Suarez Castro, A.F., Fuller, R.A., Tervo, M., Rozario, K., Peters, B., Chowdhury, S., von Gönner, J., Friedrichs-Manthey, M., Berger, A., Schultz, T., Dean, A.J., Tulloch, A., Bonn, A. (2025):
Using nature-based citizen science initiatives to enhance nature connection and mental health
Front. Environ. Sci. 13 , art. 1461601 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1461601
2024 (8)
- Arenas-Castro, H., Berdejo-Espinola, V., Chowdhury, S., Rodríguez-Contreras, A., James, A.R.M., Nussaïbah, B.R., Dunne, E.M., Bertolino, S., Emidio, N.B., Derez, C.M., Drobniak, S.M., Fulton, G.R., Henao-Diaz, L.F., Kaur, A., Kim, C.J.S., Lagisz, M., Medina, I., Mikula, P., Narayan, V.P., O'Bryan, C.J., Oh, R.R.Y., Ovsyanikova, E., Pérez-Hämmerle, K.-V., Pottier, P., Powers, J.S., Rodriguez-Acevedo, A.J., Rozak, A.H., Sena, P.H.A., Sockhill, N.J., Tedesco, A.M., Tiapa-Blanco, F., Tsai, J.-S., Villarreal-Rosas, J., Wadgymar, S.M., Yamamichi, M., Amano, T. (2024):
Academic publishing requires linguistically inclusive policies
Proc. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 291 (2018), art. 20232840 10.1098/rspb.2023.2840 - Chowdhury, S., Ahmed, S., Alam, S., Callaghan, C.T., Das, P., Di Marco, M., Di Minin, E., Jarić, I., Labi, M.M., Rokonuzzaman, M., Roll, U., Sbragaglia, V., Siddika, A., Bonn, A. (2024):
A protocol for harvesting biodiversity data from Facebook
Conserv. Biol. 38 (4), e14257 10.1111/cobi.14257 - Chowdhury, S., Bowler, D., Boutaud, E., Bleich, O., Bruelheide, H., Buse, J., Engel, T., Gebert, J., Grescho, V., Gürlich, S., Harry, I., Jansen, F., Klenke, R.A., van Klink, R., Winter, M., Bonn, A. (2024):
Widespread decline of ground beetles in Germany
EcoEvoRxiv 10.32942/X2XS66 - Chowdhury, S., Cardillo, M., Chapman, J.W., Green, D., Norris, D.R., Riva, F., Zalucki, M.P., Fuller, R.A. (2024):
Protected area coverage of the full annual cycle of migratory butterflies
Conserv. Biol. 10.1111/cobi.14423 - Chowdhury, S., Fuller, R.A., Ahmed, S., Alam, S., Callaghan, C.T., Das, P., Correia, R.A., Di Marco, M., Di Minin, E., Jarić, I., Labi, M.M., Ladle, R.J., Rokonuzzaman, M., Roll, U., Sbragaglia, V., Siddika, A., Bonn, A. (2024):
Using social media records to inform conservation planning
Conserv. Biol. 38 (1), e14161 10.1111/cobi.14161 - Chowdhury, S., Hawladar, N., Roy, R.C., Capinha, C., Cassey, P., Correia, R.A., Deme, G.G., Di Marco, M., Di Minin, E., Jarić, I., Ladle, R.J., Lenoir, J., Momeny, M., Rinne, J.J., Roll, U., Bonn, A. (2024):
Harnessing social media data to track species range shifts
EcoEvoRxiv 10.32942/X2R63N - Cooke, S.J., Piczak, M.L., Singh, N.J., Åkesson, S., Ford, A.T., Chowdhury, S., Mitchell, G.W., Norris, D.R., Hardesty-Moore, M., McCauley, D., Hammerschlag, N., Tucker, M.A., Horns, J.J., Reisinger, R.R., Kubelka, V., Lennox, R.J. (2024):
Animal migration in the Anthropocene: threats and mitigation options
Biol. Rev. 99 (4), 1242 - 1260 10.1111/brv.13066 - Sheard, J.K., Adriaens, T., Bowler, D.E., Büermann, A., Calaghan, C.T., Camprasse, E.C.M., Chowdhury, S., Engel, T., Finch, E.A., von Gönner, J., Hsing, P.-Y., Mikula, P., Oh, R.R.Y., Peters, B., Phartyal, S.S., Pocock, M.J.O., Wäldchen, J., Bonn, A. (2024):
Emerging technologies in citizen science and potential for insect monitoring
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 379 (1904), art. 20230106 10.1098/rstb.2023.0106
2023 (9)
- Amano, T., Ramírez-Castañeda, V., Berdejo-Espinola, V., Borokini, I., Chowdhury, S., Golivets, M., González-Trujillo, J.D., Montaño-Centellas, F., Paudel, K., White, R.L., Veríssimo, D. (2023):
The manifold costs of being a non-native English speaker in science
PLoS Biol. 21 (7), e3002184 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002184 - Chowdhury, S. (2023):
Threatened species could be more vulnerable to climate change in tropical countries
Sci. Total Environ. 858, Part 2 , art. 159989 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159989 - Chowdhury, S., Aich, U., Rokonuzzaman, M., Alam, S., Das, P., Siddika, A., Ahmed, S., Labi, M.M., Di Marco, M., Fuller, R.A., Callaghan, C.T. (2023):
Increasing biodiversity knowledge through social media: A case study from tropical Bangladesh
Bioscience 73 (6), 453 - 459 10.1093/biosci/biad042 - Chowdhury, S., Fuller, R.A., Rokonuzzaman, M., Alam, S., Das, P., Siddika, A., Ahmed, S., Labi, M.M., Chowdhury, S.U., Mukul, S.A., Böhm, M., Hanson, J.O. (2023):
Insights from citizen science reveal priority areas for conserving biodiversity in Bangladesh
One Earth 6 (10), 1315 - 1325 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.08.025 - Chowdhury, S., Jennions, M.D., Zalucki, M.P., Maron, M., Watson, J.E.M., Fuller, R.A. (2023):
Protected areas and the future of insect conservation
Trends Ecol. Evol. 38 (1), 85 - 95 10.1016/j.tree.2022.09.004 - Chowdhury, S., Zalucki, M.P., Hanson, J.O., Tiatragul, S., Green, D., Watson, J.E.M., Fuller, R.A. (2023):
Three-quarters of insect species are insufficiently represented by protected areas
One Earth 6 (2), 139 - 146 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.12.003 - Engel, T., Chowdhury, S., Friedrichs-Manthey, M., von Gönner, J., Herrmann, T., Klenke, R., Sheard, J.K., Peters, B., Bonn, A. (2023):
Digitalisierung in Citizen Science und Naturschutz – Anwendungsbeispiele aus der Praxis. Digital technologies in citizen science and nature conservation – Overview of practical examples
Nat. Landschaft 98 (6/7), 319 - 329 10.19217/NuL2023-06-07 - Nolde-Lopez, B., Bundus, J., Arenas-Castro, H., Román, D., Chowdhury, S., Amano, T., Berdejo-Espinola, V., Wadgymar, S.M. (2023):
Language barriers in organismal biology: What can journals do better?
Integr. Organism. Biol. 5 (1), obad003 10.1093/iob/obad003 - Sheard, J.K., Büermann, A., Chowdhury, S., Engel, T., Finch, E.A., Oh, R.R.Y., Bonn, A. (2023):
Survey: CITIZEN SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES - How can we harness and improve the use of technologies in citizen science? (1.0.0) [Data set]
Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.10051199
2022 (2)
- Chowdhury, S., Aich, U., Rokonuzzaman, M., Alam, S., Das, P., Siddika, A., Ahmed, S., Labi, M.M., Di Marco, M., Callaghan, C.T., Fuller, R.A. (2022):
Spatial occurrence data for the animals of Bangladesh derived from Facebook
PANGAEA 10.1594/PANGAEA.948104 - Chowdhury, S., Zalucki, M.P., Amano, T., Poch, T.J., Lin, M.-M., Ohwaki, A., Lin, D.-L., Yang, L., Choi, S.-W., Jennions, M.D., Fuller, R.A. (2022):
Trends and progress in studying butterfly migration
Integr. Conserv. 1 (1), 8 - 24 10.1002/inc3.13