About This Project

The Maldivian Manta Ray Project wants to know if manta rays use reef habitats differently when divers/snorkelers are present, as well as deepen our understanding of how temporal scales affect manta activity. Underwater time-lapse cameras will provide new insight into manta behaviour and habitat use, so that we can provide vital scientific guidance to Maldivian communities, businesses and the government; ultimately helping them to protect the local manta population on which their economy depends.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Threatened by habitat destruction and overfishing, mantas are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN. Ecotourism provides an economic incentive to protect them, but without proper measures it can be harmful to mantas. The Maldives, home to the world’s largest population of reef mantas (Mobula alfredi), makes over US$8 million annually through manta tourism. Tourists regularly dive and snorkel at cleaning stations; areas of reef where small fish ‘clean’ larger animals like mantas. We too frequent these sites to conduct manta surveys and observe interactions. Our research started in 2005 and has played a direct role in gaining national protection for mantas in the Maldives, but ongoing monitoring of these habitats is crucial to assess the effectiveness of these protective measures.

What is the significance of this project?

Scuba diving offers only short glimpses of manta activity each day, greatly limiting our data collection. The deployment of remote underwater cameras will allow us to run uninterrupted, long-term monitoring of cleaning stations for the first time. We will collect comparative data on manta behaviour when divers/snorkelers are present and absent, to assess the impact of tourism practices. We will build a substantial and consistent body of data to demonstrate how the time of day, tidal cycle, lunar phase and monsoon season affect manta presence at cleaning stations. This research is necessary to provide robust, scientific guidance to local communities, tourism operators and the government on maintaining successful, sustainable manta tourism and conserving native marine ecosystems.

What are the goals of the project?

Use underwater time-lapse cameras to continuously monitor one or more cleaning stations in Baa Atoll for the majority of 2018’s manta season (June-November) to:

a) Gather data on manta activity when humans are absent, to aid our research into the effects of scuba divers on manta behaviour.

b) Gain greater insight into the temporal use of cleaning stations by mantas. Learning when stations are being used, how many mantas use each station, how often multiple mantas are cleaning together and how station use changes over a day, lunar cycle, and season.

We will publish a report on our data analysis in spring 2019. The equipment will be utilised beyond the conclusion of this project; monitoring cleaning stations in Baa Atoll and other regions in the Maldives for many years to come.