![]() ![]() They also visit 'cleaning stations' on coral reefs (pictured) to have parasites, or dead skin picked off by small fishĭr Germanov said: 'I found it very interesting how some manta rays appear to prefer spending their time in some sites more than others, even when sites are five kilometres apart, which are short distances for manta rays. The study's results showed that some manta rays moved around the park and others as far as the Nusa Penida MPA, more than 270 miles away.īut, overall, manta rays showed individual preferences for specific sites within the park. The models can predict the likelihood that manta rays are inhabiting or travelling in between specific sites. The photographs and accompanying time and location information was used to build sighting histories of individual manta rays, which could then be analysed with statistical movement models. 'The rise of the number of people engaging in scuba diving, snorkelling and the advent of affordable underwater cameras meant that photos and videos taken by the public during their holidays could be used to quickly and affordably scale data collection.' Study co-author Dr Marshall said: 'People love manta rays - they are one of the most iconic animals in our oceans. She worked with software company WildMe to develop an online wildlife database platform to match and catalogue manta rays in different populations around the world. Reef mantas (Mobula alfredi), which grow up to five metres (16 feet), tend to reside and feed in shallow, coastal habitats Individual manta rays are identified by their unique and sometimes striking abdominal patterns.ĭr Andrea Marshall, principal scientist and co-founder of MMF, saw the potential to get the public involved with data collection for the threatened marine creature. 'With their support, we were able to identify over 1,000 individual manta rays from over 4,000 photographs.' Study lead author Dr Elitza Germanov, of MMF, said: 'I was amazed by how receptive the local dive community was in helping collect much needed data on these threatened animals. Most of the images came from just four locations from more than 20 commonly visited by tourism boats. Researchers worked with the dive operator community serving the park to source identification photographs of manta rays visiting the parks' waters and submit them to - a crowdsourced online database for manta and other rays. Manta rays are present year-round in Komodo National Park, challenging the famous Komodo dragon as the most sought after megafauna for visitors. ![]() They also visit 'cleaning stations' on coral reefs to have parasites, or dead skin picked off by small fish.Ĭourtship 'trains' are also observed next to cleaning stations. Reef mantas (Mobula alfredi), which grow up to 16ft (5m), tend to reside and feed in shallow, coastal habitats. Scientists from the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) and Murdoch University in Australia teamed up with the public as part of a five-year research project. ![]()
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