Protecting the Ocean's Giants The Future of Manta Ray Conservation

SPEAKER: Josh Stewart, Associate Director of Manta Trust and Grantee of the New England Aquarium’s Marine Conservation Action Fund.

WHAT: With wing spans more than 20 feet, manta rays are one of the most charismatic marine species and a top attraction for dive and snorkel tourism. Despite their popularity with the public, we know almost nothing about these enormous, enigmatic rays. As targeted fisheries around the world increasingly threaten manta populations, conservation scientists are racing to learn more about their fundamental ecology to support effective conservation and management action. At this presentation, you will learn more about the biology and ecology of these graceful ocean giants, the fisheries that threaten their existence, and the research and conservation efforts currently underway.

In 2013, the Aquarium’s Marine Conservation Action Fund (MCAF) offered Stewart and his Manta Trust a small grant to satellite tag manta rays in Pacific Mexico where they are threatened by purse seine and gill net fisheries. Vast and far-reaching, MCAF started in 1999 and seeds about seven new initiatives a year for scientists and grassroots organizations working with a variety of species and conservation efforts. About 120 projects have been funded overall.

Manta Trust’s satellite tagging is helping to research the possibility of a migratory corridor between mainland Pacific Mexico and the Revillagigedo Archipelago, 300 miles southwest of Baja California Sur. Identifying the location and timing of such a corridor would allow for seasonal closures of fisheries and restrictions on gear types in critical areas, thereby reducing pressure on what are thought to be extremely small and vulnerable populations of oceanic manta rays. Stewart will discuss their findings.

WHEN: The free lecture takes place Wed. April 15 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: New England Aquarium’s Simons IMAX Theatre, Central Wharf, Boston

NOTE: The Aquarium hosts a series of informative free lectures, films, and discussions for the community this spring. The Lowell Institute supports the lectures. Most are available on the Aquarium’s YouTube channel afterward. Pre-registration is encouraged on the Aquarium’s website, http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/programs_and_classes/aquarium_lecture_series/index.php or call 617-973-5200 for more information.