Whale sharks on the move in Southeast Asia highlight the need for further collaboration in the conservation of the species
Whale sharks tracked moving between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. For the first time researchers from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines have tracked whale sharks moving between the Philippines and Malaysia, and Indonesia, using satellite tags, photo-identification and citizen science…
Read MoreRony’s Company Call Fundrauses for LAMAVE!
Sunday, November 11, “Rony’s Company Call – A Stage Door to Christmas” set the stage for Christmas, with a night of music, dancing, Santa hats and bubbles, all in support of LAMAVE!
Read MoreGrowing Through Volunteering
What you do with the choices you get to make will determine the choices you have in the tomorrow of your life. You can elect to stay where you are now, or you can choose to make your life different…
Read More7 One-of-A-Kind Experiences as a LAMAVE Volunteer
Just like any other volunteering opportunity, signing up with LAMAVE is a great way to contribute your time and skills to something bigger – marine conservation. But joining LAMAVE is unique in itself because it is more of a commitment – you have to be passionate and dedicate at least three months of your life to volunteering with us.
Read MoreVenturing Into The Wider World of International Whale Shark Research
LAMAVE attended the 5th International Whale Shark Conference (IWSC) held last 28-31 May 2019 in the town of Exmouth, WA Australia. Part of the organization’s contingent were LAMAVE researchers Ari Agustines and Tin Legaspi, the first Filipinas to participate in this conference.
Read MoreEcology: Sharks under threat from fisheries
A new study published in Nature, International Journal of Science revealed that around one quarter of the habitats of oceanic sharks fall within active fishing zones, which may threaten these iconic ocean predators. The study spearheaded by David Sims and colleagues, brought together 1500+ satellite tracks globally from 150 scientists, including LAMAVE, and demonstrates an urgent need for conservation efforts to protect pelagic sharks, which reported to be in decline.
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 MorePioneering partnership names its first Ocean Giants Scholars
The University and Ocean Giants Trust have created unique opportunities for marine biology and conservation undergraduates. Students from the University of Plymouth are being given the opportunity to work directly with international marine conservation organisations while completing their studies…
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 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 MoreNew hope for sharks and rays as work begins on zoning Marine Protected Area
Palawan, Philippines, 10 May 2019 - Scientists from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) have set up an acoustic network to study shark and ray movements and habits in Cagayancillo….
Read MoreLearning curves, good company and questionable Tagalog pronunciation
I am now nearing the end of my three-month placement in Puerto Princesa and it has flown by! The last ten weeks have been a truly wonderful experience, full of learning curves, good company, questionable Tagalog pronunciation and stunning whale shark encounters. When I told a few people at home what I would be doing next with my life they didn’t quite believe what I said…
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 MorePhilippines officially hosts world’s second largest known population of whale sharks
Philippines, March 3, 2019, The Philippines officially hosts the second-largest known population of whale sharks in the world according to Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a global online population catalogue used by scientists and the public. The Philippine population total, which now stands at >1,600 individual whale sharks…
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 MoreLAMAVE and the Philippine Siren team up again for an expedition of diving and whale sharks!
This January we teamed up for a second time with Worldwide Dive and Sail to bring an exclusive trip around the Visayas, Philippines. This trip was designed to visit Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) project site in Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte, and potential study sites for marine megafauna.
Read MoreA new study reveals the impacts of whale shark mass tourism on the coral reefs in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.
The collaborative research among the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the University of Guam (UoG), and the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) shows that whale shark tourism in Tan-awan, Oslob, Philippines has led to degradation of the local coral reef ecosystem…
Read MoreSuccess for sharks! Incredible numbers of reef sharks found in Philippine Marine Protected Area
Scientists from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE), Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) and Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) have found incredibly high numbers of reefs sharks in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP), Philippines. The numbers are higher than most other marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world and highlight the importance of large…
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