First 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 MoreConservation in the time of COVID-19
It’s been 128 days since our team felt the ebb and flow of the Philippine seas, the taste of saltwater in our snorkels and the occasional stinger on our cheek. As individuals deeply connected to the sea, it’s been tough being “dry docked” but it’s also been an important time for us as an organisation…
Read MoreEcotourism Transforms Attitudes to marine conservation
A study has shown how ecotourism in the Philippines has transformed people’s attitudes towards marine conservation. Researchers from LAMAVE and University of Victoria in Canada visited three sites where tourists pay to swim with whale sharks in the wild. They interviewed a range of locals who work for the tour operators in Oslob, Donsol and Pintuyan, including fishers and ex-whale shark hunters.
Read MoreCollaborative efforts highlight the long-distance movements of whale sharks in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion
The whale shark is a highly mobile species, broadly distributed, that can cross boundaries without anyone realising. A recent study in the Philippines highlighted the movement of whale sharks between one site in Palawan, and Malaysia and Indonesia. These results also highlighted the utility of the general public in collecting data for research programmes.
Read MoreLAMAVE and the Philippines Siren team up for sharks
This January we (LAMAVE) teamed up for a third 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 sites where marine megafauna abound in Cebu, Bohol and Leyte islands…
Read MoreControlling a whale shark mass tourism destination: new study investigates crowding and tourist expectations
A new scientific study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and the University of Victoria (Canada) reveals that overcrowding is a significant issue for Oslob whale shark watching tours. The study presents management interventions aimed at improving the tourist experience and recommends reducing tourist numbers to 500 daily visitors….
Read MoreHow lasers and photographs are helping scientists study endangered turtles in the Philippines
One of the challenges for conservation biologists is how to collect information in the most minimally invasive way they can to minimise disturbance. A recent study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines used cameras and lasers to study population and growth rates of green turtles from a distance…
Read MoreWhale 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 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…
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