Throughout their very important pooping, mantas create a connection between different layers of the ocean that helps to support overall ocean health.
Besides this important ecological function, mantas have a lot to offer! They are important for tourism and help bring money into the communities where they live. This is part of the government and scientists motivation for protecting mantas in the Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve, where the field site for my project is located. This is where my work comes in.
Science is a collaborative effort. The field site where we are working was discovered by a photographer and conservationist named Rodrigo Friscione, who has spent 10 years documenting the presence of mantas at our site, called ‘Manta Valley’. We are trying to learn how the mantas are using this space so that we can make recommendations for protections to the Mexican government. It is also important to learn more about these mantas because we believe they are an entirely new species! There are two existing species of mantas, Oceanic mantas (Mobula birostris) and Reef mantas (Mobula alfredi). They have different social and migratory behaviors, so to make the best recommendations that we can, we have to understand more about the behaviors of our Caribbean mantas (Mobula c.f. birostris).
How do you study animals that can dive to 4,000 feet for a snack? It isn’t always easy. We have to be as strategic as possible, and this means tagging. Acoustic tagging allows us to "follow" mantas to places we can’t normally go. Although I would love to spend every hour of every day in Manta Valley, it isn’t possible (yet!).
