Ocean-dwelling sharks and rays, including the majestic reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi), have declined globally by an estimated 71% since 1970 due to fishing. But a new study of reef manta rays in eastern Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, combined with an exciting discovery from Komodo National Park further west earlier this year, suggests reef mantas […]
Tag: manta ray
Scientists Find Huge Aggregations of Reef Manta Rays in Komodo National Park
The reef manta ray is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae, one of the largest rays in the world. They are typically 3 to 3.5 m in disc width, with a maximum size of about 5.5 m. First described in 1868 by the Australian researcher Gerard Krefft, they tend to reside and feed in […]
The Terrifying Truth: Our Future is Tied to the Future of Sharks
Mention the word “shark” to most people, and they will most likely think of a cruel, bloodthirsty monster along the lines of those portrayed in “Jaws” or the “Sharknado” series. When the word “shark” is used to describe a human, it carries negative connotations of deceitfulness and cunning. We seem to have developed an idea […]
Thousands of sharks and rays are likely entangled in plastic polluting Earth’s oceans
New research finds that thousands of sharks and rays could be entangled in the plastic polluting Earth’s oceans. Scientists at the UK’s University of Exeter examined existing scientific literature and took to Twitter to find documented instances of shark and ray entanglements. They ended up finding reports of more than 1,000 entangled animals — and […]
How Peru fell in love with a sea giant worth far more alive than dead
Fishermen heading out to sea off Peru’s northern coast keep a keen eye on the turquoise waters below them, hoping for a glimpse of the elusive giant manta ray gliding by. Nowadays the boats are taking tourists rather than nets. The fish they once caught are now in decline, and the fish the visitors want […]
Manta ray tourism worth 28 times more than killing them for Traditional Chinese Medicine
A new study in the open access journal PLoS ONE estimates that manta rays are worth $140 million a year in tourism across 23 countries, significantly outweighing the worth of manta ray gill plates, which have become the newest craze in Traditional Chinese Medicine. “As an example in Indonesia, revenue to fishermen from manta gill […]