„MANTA” PROJECT

„MANTA” PROJECT

our conversation

WOJCIECH ZGOŁA TALKS TOANA FILIPA SOBRAL (MANTACATALOG AZORES)

Photo Will Appleyard

Wojciech Zgoła: Why the manta rays?

Oceanário: Oceanário de Lisboa encourages people to learn more about the ocean and finances various conservation projects around the world, including in the Azores, where it helps to raise awareness to the natural capital found in the archipelago. When Oceanário began to draw this dream of a programme for ecotourism, connecting divers to species conservation, and simultaneously ensuring financial sustainability for conservation projects, Manta Catalog Azores, a project that was already funded by Oceanário, naturally emerged as a key partner, as they study the aggregation of the devil ray around the Island of Santa Maria, striving to increase knowledge on the behaviour of this species and to identify necessary actions for its protection.

WZ: Where did the idea for the expedition come from and is it a scientific expedition with the possibility of ordinary divers?

O: Manta Conservation Experience was born from Oceanário de Lisboa's desire to, in one way, create something to connect the common diver with the conservation projects there are being done – namely Manta Catalog Azores – but also trying to create a way to expand the funding capacity for conservation projects. Combining these two premises aims to archive better results for the project and a sustainable activity for the future. Manta Conservation Experience also aims to set the ground for more conscientious and sustainable dive practices and raise awareness on the importance of scientific data collection to drive change through better and more informed conservation and management measures. We want to connect the common diver with the conservation efforts and get them the opportunity to discover more about the species they dive with.

WZ: What specific species are you researching?

Ana Filipa Sobral/Manta Catalog Azores: Manta Catalog Azores aims to further our knowledge on mantas and devil rays (Mobulids) found in the Azores and the Eastern Atlantic, a region where little data is available on these animals. Three species can be found here, between June and October each year: the Sicklefin Devil Ray (Mobula tarapacana), the Oceanic Manta Ray (Mobula birostris) and the Spinetail Devil Ray (Mobula mobular). The shallow seamounts around the Azores are some of the few places on earth where Sicklefin devil rays gather in large groups, and the presence of these predictable aggregations provides a unique opportunity to study them.

WZ: What are some individuals marked with?

AFS/MCA: Manta rays and the sicklefin devil ray have unique natural markings on their bellies. These are unique to each animal, similarly to our fingerprints, which allows us to identify them using photographs, a method known as photo-ID. By building a database with ID-photos of each animal, together with information on when/where they were photographed, we can track their movements as well as learn more about their migration patterns, population size, reproduction, etc – crucial information to make informed management decisions for the conservation of these animals.

Photo Ana Filipa Sobral

WZ: How long does the research take?

AFS/MCA: Projects like Manta Catalog Azores are usually longour term projects. Mainly due to the nature of a technique like photo-identification, which aims to study individuals and populations through time. Once an individual has been IDed, every time they are photographed again, we will be able to learn more about it. So, the bigger the database the highest the chance to have a re-sight and the more we will be able to learn about these animals and their populations through time.

WZ: What have you achieved so far? What conclusions have been drawn?

AFS/MCA: So far there are almost 300 identified individuals on our database. When the project started it was the first time this technique was used to study the Sicklefin devil ray, so the main questions behind it were: Can we use photo-ID to study the Sicklefin devil ray in the Azores? Do the same individuals return to the Azores in different years? Today we can say that photo-ID is a viable tool to study these animals and we also know that individuals do return to the Azores in different years. Some of them return several times and others have been photographed 9 years after the first sighting.

WZ: Where do you publish your research?

AFS/MCA: The research is published in peer-reviewed journals, but we also make sure to disseminate and share it amongst the general public, especially since the project relies on “Citizen Scientists” – divers and local dive operators that contribute with data on their sightings of these animals, as well as with ID-photos.

WZ: Are manta rays dangerous to humans?

AFS/MCA: Manta and devil rays are completely harmless to humans, in fact they are known as gentle giants due to their impressivesize and gentle nature.

WZ:Do they interact with people, what is it about?

AFS/MCA: Manta rays have the largest brain of all fish, and their curiosity and apparent intelligence make encountering them an unforgettable experience. Their interaction with divers has granted them a charismatic status amongst the diving community. Devil rays are known to be more elusive and generally very shy towards divers. However, that is not the case with the Sicklefin devil ray which just like mantas will swim up to divers with obvious curiosity, making for an incredible encounter. When one of these animals looks directly into your eyes it is a moment hard to forget.

WZ: How to behave in the presence of these majestic creatures?

AFS/MCA: Having the chance to encounter these animals underwater is an incredible experience, however it is important we behave in a way that does not disturb them. The first important step is to choose a responsible tour operator, which respects the animals and any existing laws and guidelines or codes of conduct in place in the area you will be snorkelling or diving. The Manta Trust team has created a Best Practice Code of Conduct for Manta Ray Tourism, a set of guidelines and information for both tourists and operators which you can find at https://swimwithmantas.org. By following these guidelines, you are both enhancing your experience and ensuring your presence does not disturb the animals. Some of the things to keep in mind are: 1. Keep your distance; 2. remain still and let the manta come to you, do not chase after them; 3. do not block their path; 4. do not touch them, you will ruin the encounter for everyone and may receive a fine depending on local laws; 5. Make sure to follow any extra rules, laws and regulations that may bespecific to the site you're visiting.

Photo Will Appleyard

WZ:Do they live in the same area? What distances do they travel daily, monthly, annually?

AFS/MCA: Mantas and devil rays often undertake seasonal migrations, and their movements are driven by ocean currents and food (plankton) availability. These family has very diverse and complex behaviours. Depending on the species, they can be more resident or highly migratory, being able to travel dozens, hundreds or even thousands of kilometres. They are also known to dive quite deep, the Sicklefin devil ray, for example, can dive up to 2 kilometres deep.

WZ: Is it true that manta rays can fly in the air? When is this happening and why? Do mantas communicate with each other?

AFS/MCA: Manta rays can jump out of the water, but devil rays are known to be the true acrobats. Specially the Munk’s Devil Ray (Mobula munkiana), known to aggregate in vast schools of thousands of rays – jumping up to 3 meters above the water while performing flips and somersaults and then going back into the ocean with a loud “splash”. The exact reason for this behaviour is unknown, but it has been discussed its purpose could be communication.

WZ: How many manta rays are killed in a year?

AFS/MCA: In the last decades a new market arose for the gill plates of Mobulids, to be used in use in Asian Medicine. This led to Mobulids now being heavily sought after and to the rise of targeted fisheries. In addition, they are increasingly being caught in fisheries directed to other species, in what is called by-catch. Despite many conservation achievements, and enhanced protection against the gill plate trade in the last few years, fisheries, both targeting them for their gill plates and catching them as bycatch, are still their biggest threats, and have devastated populations worldwide, with mantas still being killed in their thousands and devil rays in their tens of thousands, as bycatch in high seas fisheries.

WZ: What are you counting on in 2022 after 2 years of pandemic? Has their population increased during this time?

AFS/MCA: 2022 will hopefully allow us to fully be back in the water collecting as much data as possible. The pandemic inevitably affected our ability to be out in the field but also the amount of data collected from divers and operators, since there were less people travelling. Unfortunately, one of the reasons why Mobulids are threatened is their inability to rapidly recover from decreases in their populations. These animals live long, take a long time to be able to reproduce and don’t reproduce often, having a pup every 3–5 years. This makes it impossible for them to recover their populations in such a short time, even if all the threats they face would have ceased completely during the pandemic. Of the nine recognized species by the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species two are listed as “Vulnerable” and seven as “Endangered”, all with declining populations. Now more than ever it is important to continue to study these amazing fish and to work for their conservation.

Photo Ana Filipa Sobral

WZ: What will the participant of such an expedition experience?

Oceanário: Participants will have a unique, immersive experience and a deep connection with the ocean. For one week, they will be able to dive twice a day in a variety of spots in Natural Reserves and Marine Protected Areas which have a huge variety of underwater geological formations and an extremely diverse and rich marine life – not only devil rays but, potentially, divers may also meet with sharks, whales and dolphins. Diving in Santa Maria is a very exclusive experience – there will only be a very limited number of divers per time slot in each place, to preserve and respect protected areas. Participants will also discover more about the devil rays and will learn about techniques of photo-identification. They will also conclude the experience with personal fulfilment from the certainty that they have given a direct contribute to the protection of these threatened species and ocean conservation, not only by financially supporting the project, but also by helping collect valuable data and photos for scientific research.

PERFECTDIVER No. 3(21)/2022 51