Save the Mantas

Happy World Manta Day 2022! — Marine Megafauna Foundation MMF first began as the ‘Manta & Whale Shark Research Centre’ in Tofo, Mozambique, where Andrea Marshall completed the world’s first PhD on the biology and ecology of manta rays. Years later, she and the MMF team continue as world leaders in manta ray research and conservation. To help cele...

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The oceans are full of many new surprises!

BREAKING: MMF researchers document the rare ornate eagle ray *twice*—One of the world’s most elusive ray species

Although the largest of all eagle ray species, ornate eagle rays are extremely rare, with few records from fisheries and a limited number of sightings in the wild. The majority of encounters are recorded from Australia and the Indo-West Pacific region (only one confirmed report exists from southern Africa, prior to this).

“The moment I saw it, I knew it was something special and unusual,” says Janneman Conradie, MMF field researcher and logistics coordinator. “I had to double-check my footage because I couldn’t believe what I had seen. Then to see another within a few days was beyond belief. The Bazaruto Seascape is always full of surprises.”

Check out the full story:
https://marinemegafauna.org/news-and-media/researchers-document-the-rare-ornate-eagle-ray

Photo ©Manfred Vijars

https://eci.ec.europa.eu/012/public/ #/screen/home

European Citizens' Initiative Give your support !

Seaspiracy | Netflix Official Site Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers alarming global corruption.

Marine Megafauna
The Marine Megafauna Foundation would like to introduce you to Ocean Giants, a brand-new FREE quarterly magazine. In this first issue, they are highlighting a major marine protection win in Mozambique, along with the results from some of our recent research and conservation initiatives. From the urban mantas of Florida to the introverted whale sharks of Tanzania, MMF scientists and their wonderful collaborators have been making new discoveries across the world.
http://www.marinemegafauna.org/magazine

⚠️DEVASTATING MANTA NEWS⚠️ Today, the conservation status of the giant manta has been uplisted to Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This announcement serves to confirm what we have long suspected – this gentle marine giant is finding it hard to cope with intensifying anthropogenic pressures around the globe. The giant manta ray now joins over 16,000 endangered species to be assessed with this serious threat level. At this stage, 30% of sharks and rays are now threatened with extinction.

After first describing this species, "the realization that the giant manta ray is now in danger of extinction is a hard pill to swallow”, MMF co-founder Dr. Andrea Marshall admits. “We are still busy learning about this extraordinary creature and we have only scratched the surface. There is so much more we need to understand, but at this stage, we have put that all aside in favor of protecting the last remaining populations of giant mantas across the globe.”

Please consider giving to our end-of-year fundraiser to build three new ocean giant research centers that will directly impact the future of this now endangered species: https://marinemegafaunafoundation.org/giving-tuesday/

Link to our full press release: https://marinemegafaunafoundation.org/blog/giant-manta-becomes-the-first-manta-ray-to-be-listed-as-an-endangered-species/

https://www.masterliveaboards.com/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-manta-rays/?dm_i=1SIR,56T77,NZKGKJ,JYAYM,1

5 Things you didn't know about manta rays | Master Liveaboards

https://youtu.be/LaO1wLMRaFU

MMF Mantas in Raja Ampat Drone footage of manta rays in Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Philippines Manta Update - Ticao Manta Conservation
Ticao Island conservation work with manta rays dates back to the early 2000's when a local group called the Blue Zoo worked with Save-the-Mantas.org to develop posters that were displayed in the ports and fish markets to persuade fisherman to not kill the rays. The poster were very effective and led directly to today’s protection of manta rays and whale sharks in many of the areas of the Philippines.

In 2002, Rico Calleja, a local dive instructor, heard stories from local fishermen about a large number of mantas in an area off Ticao island. This information helped him pinpoint the location of a manta cleaning station. After operating a dive shop in Donsol he later established a conservation station that would become Ticao Island Resort.

Marvin Mondrano, Abel Bahillo and others recorded frequent manta sightings at the cleaning station which was named the Manta Bowl. This area has become a very popular dive destination.

The resident manta population has been studied with 30-40 individuals identified. The Manta Bowl cleaning station is an ideal location to record sightings over a long period of time and is useful in distinguishing the resident population from the pelagic (migratory) animals.

More recent research by Yotam Barr, a marine biologist from the University of Tel Aviv and ongoing work by LAMAVE (Large Marine Vertebrates NGO) suggests that mantas frequent the area all year for the purpose of getting cleaned by small fish.

Even though the area is protected, manta rays still get caught up in fishing nets. Through the assistance of Mondrano and other local divers, as many as five manta rays are cut free of monofilament fishing lines each year.

Flying carpets of ebony silk: Robert Rubin at TEDxSonomaCounty In his passionate talk, Robert Rubin, PhD. shares his experiences studying the beautiful and gentle Pacific manta ray, and what they may have to teach us. Ro...

Support Misool Baseftin's Manta Conservation Project in Lamakera, Central Indonesia

Misool Baseftin's Manta Conservation Project in Lamakera, Central Indonesia warning: disturbing images!! Manta rays are safe inside Misool Eco Resort's No-Take Zone, but oceanic mantas roam far. That's why Misool Eco Resort's charita...

Good news for Indonesia's manta rays - A New Day in Lamakera

Manta rays are safe inside Misool Eco Resort's No-Take Zone, but oceanic mantas roam far. That's why Misool Eco Resort's charitable foundation, Misool Baseftin, has started a manta conservation project in Lamakera, a small village in central Indonesia. It's estimated that this tiny village could be responsible for up to one-third of the global manta kill. It's now illegal to hunt or trade in Manta Rays in Indonesia. Together with WildAid, Reef Check Indonesia, and the Indonesian Manta Project, the Lamakera manta conservation project is working hard to transition this community to sustainable fisheries, tourism, and manta research.

http://www.thesevenseas.net/pdf/articles/A_New_Day_in_Lamkera-Project_Overview_2016.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=May+2016

www.thesevenseas.net

Mobula Rays belly flop to attract a mate - Shark: Episode 2 Preview - BBC One http://bbc.co.uk/shark Hoping to attract a mate, Mobula Rays leap out of the water in order to make a big impact.

"Indonesia is the worlds largest exporter of sharks and rays, accounting for 15% of world trade. But manta fisheries are largely unregulated in Indonesia, and actual harvests are likely to be far greater than reported figures. Meanwhile local manta populations are declining." Manta Watch Indonesia

http://mantawatch.com/site/2010/12/save-manta-rays-in-indonesia/ #.VPd6kGb6PqZ

Save Manta Rays in Indonesia Sign our petition to Stop Shark Finning in Indonesia. We need 1000 supporters to present this proposal to the Indonesia Minster for the Environment.

Manta Memories -- Save manta rays by helping people

http://www.mantamemories.org/

http://aplus.com/a/unbelievable-footage-captures-human-helping-giant-manta-ray

Unbelievable Footage Captures Giant Manta Ray 'Asking Divers For Help ' Magic in the deep blue.

Check out this interview I did through Scuba Path that discusses how to get involved in conservation through volunteering. http://www.scubapath.com/podcastepisodes/episode-6-dan-smith-gaining-experience-by-volunteering-the-manta-network-your-resume/

Episode 6 Dan Smith Gaining Experience by Volunteering, Marine Conservation, The Manta Network &... Episode 6 Dan Smith Gaining Experience by Volunteering, Marine Conservation, The Manta Network & Advice for Your ResumeLeave a replyDan Smith is currently employed as a Fisheries Technician at Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation. He recently graduated from Nova Southeastern University in FL…

Happy World Turtle Day!

For those of you still wondering....now move along.

Fear, or dream come true? I hope that pool is SW though...

Who else had this problem as a kid?

In case you did not notice it over on the side tab...http://climatedesk.org/2014/05/watch-these-reefs-are-beautiful-but-most-of-the-coral-is-dead/

WATCH: These Reefs Are Beautiful—But Most of the Coral Is Dead : Climate Desk Grand Cayman Island is a speck of white sand about twice the size of Manhattan floating in the Caribbean Sea halfway between Cuba and Belize. It’s known mainly as an offshore tax haven—”Wolf of Wall Street” Jordan Belfort spoke to a gathering of business leaders there recently—and as a stopover for…

Happy Mother's Day! http://news.sciencemag.org/earth/2012/06/peek-inside-manta-ray-womb

A Peek Inside the Manta Ray Womb Ultrasound reveals for the first time how manta ray embryos breathe without a placenta

Hahaha manta sneeze.

Ever seen a manta "sneeze"?: http://on.fb.me/1qcUWb5

Bless you!

A good info-graph on mercury levels in seafood.

Mercury Rising: Enjoy Fish Without the Risk 70% of seafood contain safe levels of mercury. Get schooled on the safest fish to eat in this infographic!

It is beautiful the way manta rays move...

Moonlight Manta Dance Late night, after all the operators left the site at the Sheraton in Kona, bringing their customers to the world famous “Kona Manta night dive” site, we went in…

Things to do on Earth Day...http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/take-action/10-things-you-can-do-to-save-the-ocean/

10 Things You Can Do to Save the Ocean -- National Geographic Learn what you can do to help save the ocean with these 10 tips.

http://www.environmental-watch.com/2013/04/23/celebrating-remembering-earth-day/ Happy Earth Day everyone!

A topic that is not often discussed when assigning protection to species but not managing their prey. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi/10.1371/journal.pone.0026738

Competing Conservation Objectives for Predators and Prey: Estimating Killer Whale Prey... PLOS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.

http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=16957 A good article discussing the reasons that sometimes specimens need to be collected in science.

Collecting organisms to save their species Dr.Prosanta Chakrabarty is an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University and an ichthyologist and evolutionary biologist. He is also Curator of Fishes at LSU's Museum of Natural Science. Yo...