5 minute read
The Manta Trust
2018
MALDIVES
MALDIVES MARINE EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Purpose of the mission: Expand the marine life education program for the protection of manta rays in the Maldives (Marine Education Programme, MEP), as well as to learn how to get Maldivian girls more involved in the protection of the marine environment and the oceans.
Resources: Courses and activities around environmental protection (on the use of plastic, waste management, or beach cleaning) provided to students over four months.
Outcomes: Twenty-eight students from the Dharavandhoo School in Baa Atoll attended this training, which they then completed through modules. Education was also provided at local schools in Laamu and Lhaviyani Atolls. Finally, the teams created the first festival dedicated to manta rays in the Maldives, attended by more than 1,000 visitors, 11 local schools, and the guest of honor, former president Mohamed Nasheed.
2019
MEXICO
SEARCHING FOR SHADOWS UNCOVERING THE SECRETS OF THE CARIBBEAN BLACK MORPH MANTA RAYS
Purpose of the mission: Confirm the presence of manta rays in the whale shark biosphere, where their diet is studied, and in the surrounding areas. Locate additional foraging areas and initial cleaning stations in the area, as cleaning is essential to the survival and socialization of this species.
Resources: Aerial observation to have an overview of all the sites, which are far from each other.
Outcomes: Three initial aerial surveys had been conducted in September 2019 before the mission was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Manta rays have not been sighted, but the mission did record the presence of other animals such as whale sharks, and activities such as commercial shipping and fishing within the biosphere reserve, increasing the risk of threats to manta rays.
2020
MALDIVES
THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
Purpose of the mission: For the first time in 15 years, researchers were unable to go into the field because of the pandemic and lockdown. Funding for an oceanographic vessel allowed them to resume exploration once travel was again permitted. They were going to find out what had happened during their absence – four months without tourism or ranger management. What had happened to the manta rays?
Resources: Procurement of an oceanographic vessel. Surveys conducted by remote observers and underwater video systems. Underwater cameras. Measurements and ultrasound scans.
Outcomes: A total of 931 surveys were conducted to locate manta rays east of Baa Atoll. The 5,000th reef manta ray in the Maldives has been identified. A combination of 101 remote underwater video systems and two long-term time-lapse cameras were deployed at seven sites. Measurements and ultrasound scans as documentation for a PhD project underway at the University of Cambridge.
This large-scale project was funded entirely by Carl F. Bucherer. It began at the end of October and was completed on November 17. The data collected will support the efforts of the Manta Trust for years to come. Led by Guy Stevens, this expedition brought together an international team working from a cruise ship chartered by Carl F. Bucherer and transformed into a floating research station. Thanks to this mobile vessel, they were able to explore, for the first time, the most remote areas of the northern Maldives. Researchers have been simultaneously observing manta rays and their ecosystems, while continuing to educate students in schools.
Here are some key figures of the expedition: 16 researchers, marine biologists, teachers, and journalists, 17 nights at sea, 1,400 km traveled, 400 hours of underwater research, 200 observations of manta rays including 120 in Hanifaru Bay, 35 new individuals identified joining the 5,100 present in the Maldives, 300 young Maldivians educated about manta rays and mentored in their vocational choices, 80 students benefiting from diving, snorkeling, and swimming courses.
Guy Stevens is grateful to Carl F. Bucherer for funding such research. He says, “Without funding from Carl F. Bucherer, it would have been impossible for our team of researchers and educators to visit some of the country’s most remote coral reefs and islands, and to gain new insights into the regional populations of manta rays and connect with local communities.” He also welcomes the diversity made possible by this collaboration among people from different backgrounds, and says, “This unprecedented opportunity to spend an extended period of time with all the members of the team, from different projects and regions, was absolutely invaluable.”
Echoing these sentiments, Uwe Liebminger, CMO of Carl F. Bucherer, is pleased with this partnership. He says, “It’s an extraordinary honor for us to work with the Manta Trust. Our partnership has grown every year since 2013 and we’re delighted to see the impact of our collaboration through the results of this expedition as well as many other impactful projects that we have realized together in the past. We continue to learn so much from Guy and his team about this remarkable species and to be inspired by them and their work. On behalf of everyone at Carl F. Bucherer, congratulations to you all on everything the Manta Trust Far North Maldives Research Expedition has achieved. We look forward to continuing our support of your mission in the years to come.” The resources deployed range from ultrasound to video stereo photogrammetry, including ultrasound equipment, sampling, and mapping. The data collected by the Manta Trust includes information on the size, age, maturity, fecundity, and life cycle of manta rays, as well as the cleaning stations where they gather. The recorded data is shared with the Maldivian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Finally, the team of teachers has implemented an awareness program on manta rays and global warming in seven schools. The mission was fully sponsored by Carl F. Bucherer and by the people who bought the Patravi ScubaTec Maldives watch, with the proceeds going directly to fund the project.
Research is a constant back-and-forth between what has already been achieved and what still needs to be done. Each step brings hope for the years ahead. It is a victory over the behavior of humankind, and a compromise with that of Mother Nature. The Manta Trust believes that the manta ray population in the Maldives has now stabilized. Yet, there is still much to be done on a global scale. Passion, hope, expertise, and patience guide each of the Manta Trust’s expeditions. Carl F. Bucherer is proud to support this human, ecological, and scientific project, which would not exist without the generosity and determination of a few men and women who are committed to changing the currents that are hostile to the well-being of manta rays.
