Collaborative research puts mantas on the map in the Philippines
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— a new collaborative scientific study led by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and in cooperation with partners and the public has compiled a national population database for manta rays and has identified four hotspots for the species in the Philippines.
Read MoreDNA insights could help protect manta rays
Written by: Katie Smith and Inês Crespo
Researchers provide evidence for a potential new manta ray species and suggest improvements to conservation approach.
Further support for a potential new species of manta ray in the Gulf of Mexico has been uncovered by a global genetic study.
Read MoreMalaya the Manta celebrates #WorldMantaDay in style!
This is not how Malaya the manta thought she’d be spending the first-ever World Manta Day. She thought she’d be out and about mixing with the people and celebrating her species with the amazing communities she knows in the Philippines. But, COVID-19 happened, and well, we all know what that brought – social distancing – home offices, but she gets it, and she is happy to play her part to help curb the global pandemic….
Read MoreA Day for Rays: World Manta Day 2020
This September 17th 2020 is the first Wolrd Manta Day - a dedicated a day to celebrate these beautiful, enigmatic and vulnerable species. Let’s get mantas trending! #WorldMantaDay
Read MoreProject Meraki - an art fundraiser for our oceans
Project Meraki is an art fundraiser by Stephanie Loy to support the conservation projects of the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) to protect endangered marine species and their habitats in the Philippines. The online art auction will run between August 30 - September 5 2020, with 70% of each painting sold donated to LAMAVE.
Read MoreTravelling off the beaten track in search of Manta Rays
LAMAVE has been studying rays in the Philippines since 2012, initially in Bohol but more recently in Masbate, where an underwater seamount is proving to be one of the most important sites for manta rays in the country…
Read MoreA Whole New World
My girlfriend and I took a year off to travel around the world and we wanted to volunteer with a few conservation organisations along the way. We jumped on the opportunity as soon as we heard of LAMAVE. We could tell that this experience would shape what we will do for the rest of the trip. And for good!
Read MoreWomen in Conservation: Research, Science, Sustainability, Empowerment
In celebration of Womens Month, we turn to the passionate, strong women leading some of LAMAVEs research and conservation projects across the Philippines. We ask what drives them and hear their take on scientific research and what motivates them to pursue conservation goals in the heart of the coral triangle…
Read MoreRUV Life
I was moments away from booking my long-awaited holiday to Sulawesi when I saw the call for volunteers for the pilot manta project at Manta Bowl on the LAMAVE facebook back in 2017. I dropped everything, sent an email straight away and intentionally didn’t even “Like” the post to avoid drawing more attention to it until I knew I had the spot. (Please don’t judge me :D). I knew instantly I wanted to be part of the project! I love nudibranchs but I LOVE mantas!
Read MoreDiving into science
It’s close to 6 o’clock in the morning. The sun rose just as we left the diveshop. The captain shouts “50 meters”. I better get ready, weights, mask, fins, air is open, okay I am good to go. I look at my buddy “ok”. The captain shouts “10 meters”. I look at my buddy: “ready? 3-2-1 go!” Backroll into the fresh, chilled water….
Read MoreWhat makes the Philippine Siren trip with LAMAVE this January so special?
This January 2019, LAMAVE Executive Director will be joining the Philippine Siren, for a ‘Special Siren Trip’ on a unique 10 day itinerary around the Visayas, Philippines. We caught up with Gonzo to find out more about what makes the trip so “special”.
Read MoreScientific study takes a deeper look into the reproduction of mobulid rays in the Philippines
A new scientific publication by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) was lead by researcher Joshua Rambahiniarison and aimed to determine life history and reproductive parameters for several mobulids caught in the Philippines to provide vital information on the sustainability of the exploitation and consumptive use of these megafauna, at the country level and worldwide.
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