After 20 years of research and lobbying efforts, the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) is thrilled to announce a major legislative victory for ocean life in Mozambique. A new commercial fishing law enacts sweeping protections for several threatened species, including whale sharks, manta rays, and all mobula species. This new legislation, which goes into effect on January 8th, is a huge step in the right direction for the protection of threatened marine species in Mozambique. We commend the Mozambican government for taking these bold steps to protect the region’s breathtaking sea life, while st ..read more

The conservation status of the giant (or oceanic) manta ray (Mobula birostris) has been uplisted today to Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. An endangered listing is reserved for species with grave conservation concerns. Today’s announcement serves to confirm what we have long suspected – this gentle marine giant is finding it hard to cope with intensifying anthropogenic pressures around the globe. The giant manta ray now joins over 16,000 endangered species to be assessed with this serious threat level. At this stage, 30 ..read more

To protect threatened species, it is important to understand more about their populations and how different areas are connected. Until recently, scientific studies on manta rays have been heavily focused on photo-identification and tagging to answer questions such as “how big is this population?” or “how far do individuals travel?”. However, genetic techniques are also a powerful and effective tool for gaining insight into populations. In a new study, published today in the journal Heredity, researchers from the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF), the University of Western Australia and the Uni ..read more

The first study on manta rays off the coast of Florida, published today by Endangered Species Research, has discovered a potential urban nursery ground for manta rays. Juvenile manta rays were regularly sighted in the shallow waters along Florida’s coastline, the first time a nursery habitat has been discovered in such a highly developed urban environment. Conducted over a four year period, the study revealed that almost all mantas sighted were juveniles, with individuals using the habitat throughout and between years, both of which are key definitions of a nursery ground. “Manta rays are rar ..read more

A new landmark study published today in Nature by Global FinPrint reveals sharks are virtually absent on many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating they are too rare to fulfill their normal role in the ecosystem, otherwise referred to as “functionally extinct.” Of the 371 reefs surveyed in 58 countries, sharks were not observed on nearly 20 percent, indicating a widespread decline that has gone undocumented on this scale until now. Grey reef shark, Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia | Image credit: Global FinPrint Essentially no sharks were detected on any of the reefs of six nations: th ..read more

Global lockdowns pose few problems for whale sharks off Tanzania. New research shows that these gigantic fish prefer to stay in the bay they call home. Scientists regard whale sharks as a “highly migratory” species, capable of swimming tens of thousands of kilometers each year. However, a study published today in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science has shown that at least one site, Mafia Island in Tanzania, they like to stay local. No place like home? Tracking Mafia Island’s largest residents. Infographic: Steph Venables “I’ve worked on whale sharks all over the world, and I’ve never seen ..read more

A photo of gannets using discarded nets and ropes to build their nests highlights the increasing problem of plastic pollution for marine life. The image was highly commended in the 2020 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition this week. Dr. Simon J Pierce, a principal scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation and wildlife photographer for Nature Tripper, captured the image at Runde Island, off the southern coast of Norway. The island is a seasonal home to over half a million seabirds, including the northern gannets he was there to photograph. “We were bouncing around in a small boat ..read more

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Hi, I am Nilza de Catarina from Mozambique. I'm 24 years old and very concerned with the state of our ocean. I joined MMF for one year, as part of their Marine Science and Conservation Fellowship Program. The vision and the way that the organization carries out their conservation efforts – by creating true connections with the community – caught my attention. This is Nilza, when she joined MMF as part of our Fellowship Program, she was unable to swim – now she is a qualified diver and studying Marine Biolog ..read more

Plastics pollute Indonesian feeding grounds of plankton-feeding ocean giants   Plastic pollution has a tremendous impact on marine life – and reef manta rays and whale sharks are not spared from it. These large filter-feeders swallow hundreds to thousands of cubic meters of plankton-filled water every day, and with it, tiny plastic pieces from broken down carrier bags and single-use packaging, a new study has found. Marine biologists from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Murdoch University (Australia) and Udayana University (Indonesia) estimated the amount of plastic particles present in the ..read more