Kitakits Gonzo
The last two years brought about many changes at LAMAVE but one significant one was the departure of Gonzalo Araujo who stepped down from his role with LAMAVE in October 2020. Gonzo first joined the LAMAVE team in 2012, initially as a Project Leader for LAMAVE’s Cebu whale shark research project before becoming more invested in the leadership of the NGO.
Read MoreLong term study reveals no improvement in the impact of the whale shark tourism in Oslob, Philippines over 6 years
A new study by researchers from the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and published in the journal Royal Society Open Science show the continuous impacts of provisioning (hand feeding) on the behavior of whale sharks in Oslob, Philippines and how the tourism industry is failing to comply with regulations to protect this endangered species.
Read MoreFirst record of whale sharks getting cleaned by cleaner wrasse in the Indo-West Pacific
Philippines. 20 August 2020, A new study by LAMAVE reports the first documentation of whale sharks being cleaned by two species of wrasse in the Indo-West Pacific: the blue-streak cleaner wrasse and the moon wrasse. Cleaner fish usually remove parasites, dead tissue and mucus from their ‘clients’ and play an essential role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.
Read MoreFirst-of-its-kind Global Survey Reveals Sharks are depleted in the Philippines
Overall results indicate sharks are functionally extinct on many of the world’s reefs but hope remains if key conservation measures are employed.
Philippines, July 22, 2020 – 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 fulfil their normal role in the ecosystem, otherwise referred to as “functionally extinct.”
Read MoreWhale sharks: what science reveals
We round up eight years of LAMAVE’s research on the iconic whale shark. The whale shark – also called butanding, tuki, tiki tiki, tawiki in local dialects - is a national icon of the Philippines. As we reach the end of 2019 and almost 8 years since LAMAVE first started studying whale sharks in the Philippines, we round up what we have learnt about these incredible sharks…
Read MoreLAMAVE touch down in Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area to attend the 5th International Whale Shark Conference #IWSC5
LAMAVE researchers Gonzalo Araujo, Ariana Agustine, Tin Legaspi and Dr Jackie Ziegler will join the world's leading whale shark scientists, conservationists, natural resource managers and tourism managers at the 5th International Whale Shark Conference hosted between the 28-31 May 2019 in the town of Exmouth, WA Australia.
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 MoreA moment of reflection
I’ve been struggling to write about my experience on Apo island for quite some time now. I could elaborate extensively about the responsibilities of a volunteer, and explain how the project has the potential to protect the sea turtles and the community they support. Or preach incessantly about how urgently the ocean needs protection.
Read MorePalawan – The paradise of the Philippines
I’m back. Once again I find myself back in this crazy and beautiful country of the Philippines. Where travelling from one place to another sometimes takes hours, if not days with a bus, jeepney, trike and two boats. Where finding a quick feed at the bus station means getting another bag of garlic peanuts (yum) and a bunch of bananas. It also means being back in the amazing crystal clear - blue waters where whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and eagle rays live.
Read MoreClose encounters - out of the blue a shark I didn’t recognise appeared!
Before starting my volunteer placement with LAMAVE I knew I would be spending plenty of time in water with the largest fish in the ocean, Whale Sharks, little did I know the close encounter I was soon to experience….
Read MoreNew paper studies whale shark genetics from parasites collected from the shark's skin
Whale shark scientists have come up with a novel way of investigating whale shark genetics, using a minimally-invasive technique that focuses not on the shark, but rather on parasites that live on their skin!
Read MoreNew study reveals the global biology of whale sharks
A new study explores how citizen science has contributed to our understanding of the basic biology and ecology of the whale shark on a global scale. The study led by Dr Brad Norman was a collaborative effort of 38 scientists, including LAMAVE Executive Directors Dr Alessandro Ponzo and Gonzalo Araujo, as well as David David and Elson Aca from WWF-Philippines.
Read MoreWhat do mantas eat? Our new paper reveals an insight into the food habits of mobulid rays.
We are delighted to announce a second publication this week: Trophic overlap in mobulid rays: insights from stable isotope analysis.
Read MoreFeeding the world largest fish: impact of provisioning on whale shark presence and migration
A new paper from the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines and the Centre for Integrative Ecology of Deakin University in Australia describes the effect of provisioning (attracting wildlife with food to facilitate human interaction) on the presence and migratory behaviour of the whale shark in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.
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