Sound, Conservation, and Human Behaviour: Welcome Jithin!

BISONS Lab is excited to welcome Jithin Vijayan as a PhD researcher at University of Turku!

Jithin’s research focuses on biodiversity conservation, integrating ecological and social science approaches to explore human–nature interactions from multiple perspectives. His previous work in India spanned three global biodiversity hotspots—the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and the Northeast India; where he focused on often overlooked, non-charismatic taxa such as amphibians, and reptiles. More recently, his research anchored around the conservation of rocky outcrops and on place-based environmental education in India.

At the University of Turku, Jithin is pursuing doctoral research that combines his interests in music, biodiversity, and conservation social science. His project investigates how sound-based media can influence human behaviour related to biodiversity conservation. Specifically, he explores how elements such as sound design, presentation style, and familiarity with soundscapes may shape conservation-related behaviours within the rich cross-cultural contexts of Finland and India. This interdisciplinary project, conducted in collaboration with sound designers, seeks to address both global and local biodiversity conservation challenges by expanding beyond the extensively studied influence of visual media. The research is funded by the Nessling Foundation and supervised by Ricardo Correia  at our BISONS Lab and Diogo Veríssimo  at the University of Oxford, UK