Manta Ray Research Trip Update!
Hi everyone!
Thanks to your generous donations, I was able to carry out my manta ray research this past May in Papua New Guinea, and the trip was a HUGE success!
When we first arrived to our research boat, I was very nervous; we only had a few days on the boat to actively search for manta rays and deploy 3 satellite tags. Based on previous satellite tag data, we knew that reef manta rays are frequently found around this particular patch of reef outside an island in Papua New Guinea (shown in photo above), so we decided to head there first. Within the first few hours of snorkelling, we were able to deploy all the satellite tags we brought, INCLUDING the satellite tag all of you helped me fund :)
Below you can find photo IDs of the three reef manta rays we tagged. Since manta rays can be individually identified by unique spotting on their belly, we can take photo IDs!
Since we had a few days left in Papua New Guinea, we hung out by the reef and continued taking photo IDs of reef manta rays we saw. We were able to ID about 13 new manta rays during this trip, bringing the total number of manta rays in the area so far to 61 individuals!
As it takes about 6 months for the satellite tags to collect all the data we need, I do not currently have results to share with everyone. Once I analyze all the data and publish my results, I will make sure to share everything here :) Feel free to message me if you have any questions about the trip and my research!
Best,
Shannon
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