About This Project

The Manta Trust are teaming up with the Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative (CICI) to raise funds in order to dedicate a full month of exciting, exploratory manta ray research in the Conflict Islands, PNG. This project will increase our knowledge of the manta rays in this remote region, allowing us to better understand the role which they play in this rich biodiversity hotspot. We hope that the success of this feasibility study will lead to a permanent research project.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The remote Conflict Islands atoll may be small, but it boasts more than half the world’s coral species, making the atoll one of the richest natural habitats in the world (Mission Blue, 2020). Virtually untouched due to the atoll’s remote location, the Conflict Islands are a haven for biodiversity (Mission Blue, 2020). Home to several shark species including hammerheads, the atoll acts as a key nesting site for critically the endangered hawksbill turtle and the endangered green turtle (IUCN, 2020), with members of the CICI team acting as Reef Guardians to protect the area. This atoll is also home to a population of both oceanic and reef manta rays but little is known about their population dynamics, structure or movements. We hope to change this.

What is the significance of this project?

The isolated nature of these islands mean that they are luckily left largely untouched but also that we have a lot to learn. This biodiversity hotspot is one of the few places where both Oceanic (Endangered) and Reef (Vulnerable) manta rays can be seen together, as well as their cousins, devil rays (IUCN, 2020). This project offers a truly unique opportunity to learn more about these under-studied mantas. Partnering with CICI, we hope to conduct preliminary field surveys to collect manta-ID data to expand our current regional database, sample known aggregation sites and conduct exploratory surveys in search of new cleaning stations and feeding grounds. This research will contribute to efforts to see the focus study area become a legally declared and effectively managed MPA.

What are the goals of the project?

During the feasibility study Dr Murray will join the CICI team to complete:

a) Boat surveys; scope out new and known manta ray feeding sites, cleaning stations, and other aggregation areas.

b) Meet stakeholders to assess current effectiveness and sustainability of conservation management, specifically manta conservation in the region; Discuss how a collaborative project can further efforts to see the focus study area become a legally declared and effectively managed MPA and the project can contribute to implementing more effective management solutions for sustainable manta ray tourism in the Conflict Islands.

c) Undertake manta ray education and awareness event for the CICI staff and stakeholders.