{"id":1046,"date":"2019-07-12T12:50:56","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T11:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/?p=1046"},"modified":"2019-07-15T12:52:24","modified_gmt":"2019-07-15T11:52:24","slug":"homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/","title":{"rendered":"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"the-content\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/195459\/126665723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reef manta rays<\/a> (<em>Mobula alfredi<\/em>) are homebodies at heart, keen to keep closer than we\u2019d previously imagined to D\u2019Arros Island and the neighbouring St Joseph Atoll. This finding, part of a new study that details the movements of reef mantas in the Amirante Islands of Seychelles using acoustic telemetry, places emphasis on the importance of this region to a globally vulnerable species. It turns out that while reef mantas wing their way through the Amirantes year-round, a startling 89% of acoustic detections recorded during this four-year study occurred within 2.5 km of the shoreline at D\u2019Arros and St Joseph Atoll. This high site fidelity (that is, the reliance on and preference for this particular site) provides strong support for a marine protected area (MPA) to be established at this location to protect local populations of reef mantas in Seychelles.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RdWcUkcHKeM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Nothing captures the imagination quite like the mobula rays; the gentle swoop of their pectoral fins move them like magic carpets through tropical seas. Captivating as they may be, we still know little of where, when or why these mysterious creatures travel around the remote atolls of the Western Indian Ocean. Without this information, we stand little chance of successfully managing their dwindling populations. In these far-flung seas, the islands where reef mantas aggregate are difficult to access. A challenge to scientists, perhaps, but one that <a href=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/project-leader\/lauren-peel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lauren Peel<\/a> from the University of Western Australia took up gladly. \u201cWhen we first started working with the mantas at D\u2019Arros, we knew that the aggregation there was fairly reliable based on previous sighting records we\u2019d received, but we didn\u2019t know how resident the mantas were to D\u2019Arros Island and the wider Amirante region over time.\u201d Lauren\u2019s results, the culmination of four years\u2019 worth of tracking data, were published this month in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.int-res.com\/abstracts\/meps\/v621\/p169-184\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marine Ecology Progress Series<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1051\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 1080px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg\" class=\"fresco\" data-fresco-caption=\"\" data-fresco-options=\"thumbnails:false\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1051\" src=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright-1024x682.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A reef manta ray cruises over a reef at D'Arros Island, Amirantes, Seychelles. Photo \u00a9 Guy Stevens | Manta Trust<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Together with her co-authors, including Dr Guy Stevens (<a href=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/projects\/partners\/the-manta-trust\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Manta Trust<\/a>), Dr Ryan Daly and Clare Keating Daly (formerly D\u2019Arros Research Centre), Lauren deployed acoustic transmitters on 42 reef mantas at D\u2019Arros Island. These transmitters allowed the researchers to monitor the movement patterns of each manta ray through 70 acoustic receivers scattered throughout the Amirantes. This Island Group of Seychelles was of particular interest to Lauren and the team: \u201cReef manta rays are a globally vulnerable species that aggregate at circum-tropical locations around the world. I was drawn to the population in Seychelles because it is unique in the sense that the currently-identified aggregations of manta rays occur at remote locations, away from the populated islands of the country. When we started the Seychelles Manta Ray Project, very little was known about the size of the local manta population, where individuals were aggregating, how far they were moving, and if they were moving between Island Groups of the archipelago. That\u2019s why we really focussed our efforts on the aggregation at D\u2019Arros Island: it was one of the few places in the country where we had reliable reports of mantas aggregating frequently. We wanted to establish how important D\u2019Arros was to the population, how long the mantas were staying in the area, their habitat-use patterns around the island, and make use of as many research techniques as possible to get a better picture of what D\u2019Arros Island means for the manta rays of Seychelles\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0Hcbc3cKzOk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n<p>The researchers have reason to worry about where reef mantas are moving: these animals are targeted to supply gill plates to a traditional medicine market in Asia. As a result, their populations have spiralled in recent decades. Mobula rays, the family to which reef mantas belong, face additional pressure from non-target fisheries where they are caught as bycatch: they tend to become entangled in fishing gear in purse-seine and gill nets. Three of the world\u2019s most intensive fisheries that target mobula rays \u2013 India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka &#8211; are located in the Indian Ocean. Now, reports of mobula fisheries in Mozambique, along the east African coast, and in Pakistan, add urgency to needing to understand where mobula rays move in the Western Indian Ocean. Currently, manta rays are protected on an international scale in Seychelles through conventions like CITES and CMS, but on a national and more local scale, they have no formal protection. That\u2019s why this study was so important, details Lauren.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe wanted to get an idea of how significant D\u2019Arros Island and the Amirante Island Group are to the life history of these animals, and to examine whether the establishment of marine reserves at these locations would benefit conservation and management efforts for the population\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When it comes to conservation, and in particular, the design of a marine protected area that works, movement data matter. \u201cSpatial data are critical to improve our understanding of where the mantas are going and where we should be focussing management and conservation efforts\u201d Lauren explains. This kind of information is key to protecting manta rays in their last stronghold areas. \u201cBut these data don\u2019t tell us much about why they are travelling to, and aggregating at, those sites. The environmental data that we\u2019ve been collecting gives us insight into this, and lets us examine possible drivers of manta ray movement patterns and behaviour.\u201d For this reason, the researchers measured a host of other factors that might help explain why manta rays are moving to particular areas: the day of the year and time of day, what fraction of the moon was illuminated, the time relative to high tide, tidal range, water temperature, prevailing wind direction and wind speed. \u201cThis is important not only from an ecological point of view,\u201d continues Lauren; \u201cbut because it allows us to make predictions about where and when we might see manta rays aggregating throughout Seychelles and elsewhere around the world, and the kinds of behaviours that these animals might display at these sites\u201d.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1052\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 1080px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im02guystevenscopyright.jpg\" class=\"fresco\" data-fresco-caption=\"\" data-fresco-options=\"thumbnails:false\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1052\" src=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im02guystevenscopyright.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im02guystevenscopyright.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im02guystevenscopyright-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im02guystevenscopyright-1024x682.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A reef manta ray being tagged at a cleaning station at D'Arros Island. Photo \u00a9 Guy Stevens | Manta Trust<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Their findings have shown that there is cause to create an MPA around D\u2019Arros and St Joseph. Individuals were detected by the receivers year-round, with a peak in detections coinciding with the north-west monsoon. Reef mantas travelled widely within the Amirantes, with larger individuals travelling greater daily distances than smaller individuals and juveniles. On average, however, tagged manta rays were detected at D\u2019Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll on 64% of the days that they were tracked. \u201cWe definitely weren\u2019t expecting such high levels of residency for so many of our mantas. We expected the juveniles to hang around for longer, but to see larger animals moving through the acoustic array in a similar manner and regardless of their sex was really interesting\u201d marvels Lauren. Reef mantas were most likely to be detected during the day, at low wind speeds, and in balmy sea temperatures around 28\u02daC. They were more likely to be detected during a new moon, when the tidal range was at its highest, and on the slack of high tide.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1053\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 1080px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im03ryandalysaveourseasfoundationcopyright.jpg\" class=\"fresco\" data-fresco-caption=\"\" data-fresco-options=\"thumbnails:false\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1053\" src=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im03ryandalysaveourseasfoundationcopyright.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im03ryandalysaveourseasfoundationcopyright.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im03ryandalysaveourseasfoundationcopyright-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im03ryandalysaveourseasfoundationcopyright-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reef manta ray at D'Arros Island. Photo Ryan Daly | \u00a9 Save Our Seas Foundation<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For Lauren, it\u2019s vital to tie the study\u2019s findings to a wider conservation context, and she explains why the results are of particular importance to her: \u201cI find the high residency rates that we reported for the tagged mantas at D\u2019Arros to be really interesting, and particularly important from a conservation point of view. We aren\u2019t just seeing juvenile mantas in this area; we see juveniles and adults, males and females, and they are all spending a large amount of time at D\u2019Arros Island. Given that Seychelles is such a vast and remote area, the fact that we are seeing these animals spend so much time in this region is really important, not only for understanding the drivers of their behaviour, but for conserving this vulnerable species in Seychelles and for learning more about how they may be moving throughout the archipelago as a whole\u201d.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1054\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 1080px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im04guystevenscopyright.jpg\" class=\"fresco\" data-fresco-caption=\"\" data-fresco-options=\"thumbnails:false\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1054\" src=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im04guystevenscopyright.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im04guystevenscopyright.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im04guystevenscopyright-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im04guystevenscopyright-1024x682.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lauren Peel carries out a biopsy on a reef manta ray at D'Arros Island. Photo \u00a9 Guy Stevens | Manta Trust<\/p><\/div>\n<p>And what of the future for this winged-underwater species in the region? \u201cMoving forward, I hope that this research stimulates interest in the manta rays in Seychelles at a community level so that we can get even more citizen scientists involved in our research and promoting manta conservation in the region.\u201d Delving into the secret lives of these rays is a source of fascination to a scientist like Lauren. As curious as she is about the natural world, our current climate gives this kind of research a conservation imperative:\u00a0 \u201cI also hope that our findings contribute knowledge to the development of scientifically-informed MPAs, particularly in the Amirantes and at D\u2019Arros Island, but also at other locations throughout Seychelles where we know that mantas occur. A vital part of our research has been learning more about where these animals are aggregating, and the work we\u2019ve completed at D\u2019Arros to-date represents the first step in our efforts to better understand the importance of the different islands in Seychelles to these vulnerable animals. I really can\u2019t thank the Save Our Seas Foundation and Manta Trust enough for their support of this research project and I look forward to continuing to develop the Seychelles Manta Ray Project with them\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kehq_-0xE1w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n<p>You can read the paper online <a href=\"https:\/\/www.int-res.com\/abstracts\/meps\/v621\/p169-184\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>***Reference:<\/em> Peel LR, Stevens GMW, Daly R, Keating Daly CA, Lea JSE, Clarke CR, Collin SP and Meekan MG. 2019. Movement and residency patterns of reef manta rays <em>Mobula alfredi<\/em> in the Amirante Islands, Seychelles. XX-xx.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are homebodies at heart, keen to keep closer than we\u2019d previously imagined to D\u2019Arros Island and the neighbouring St Joseph Atoll. This finding, part of a new study that details the movements of reef mantas in the Amirante Islands of Seychelles using acoustic telemetry, places emphasis on the importance of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":1051,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes - SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are homebodies at heart, keen to keep closer than we\u2019d previously imagined to D\u2019Arros Island and the neighbouring St Joseph Atoll. This finding, part of a new study that details the movements of reef mantas in the Amirante Islands of Seychelles using acoustic telemetry, places emphasis on the importance of [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/saveourseasngo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-07-12T11:50:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-07-15T11:52:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"719\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jade Schultz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@saveourseas\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@saveourseas\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jade Schultz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jade Schultz\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d058a769f551080ffbc7c284666d9fe9\"},\"headline\":\"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-07-12T11:50:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-07-15T11:52:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1679,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes - SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-07-12T11:50:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-07-15T11:52:24+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":719,\"caption\":\"A reef manta ray cruises over a reef at D'Arros Island, Amirantes, Seychelles. Photo \u00a9 Guy Stevens | Manta Trust\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/\",\"name\":\"SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre\",\"description\":\"D\u2019Arros Island &amp; St-Joseph Atoll, Seychelles\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Save our seas\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/sosf.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/sosf.png\",\"width\":510,\"height\":170,\"caption\":\"Save our seas\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/saveourseasngo\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/saveourseas\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/saveourseasfoundation\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/saveourseas.com\\\/sosf-darros-research-centre\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d058a769f551080ffbc7c284666d9fe9\",\"name\":\"Jade Schultz\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes - SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes","og_description":"Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are homebodies at heart, keen to keep closer than we\u2019d previously imagined to D\u2019Arros Island and the neighbouring St Joseph Atoll. This finding, part of a new study that details the movements of reef mantas in the Amirante Islands of Seychelles using acoustic telemetry, places emphasis on the importance of [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/","og_site_name":"SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/saveourseasngo\/","article_published_time":"2019-07-12T11:50:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-07-15T11:52:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":719,"url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jade Schultz","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@saveourseas","twitter_site":"@saveourseas","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jade Schultz","Estimated reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/"},"author":{"name":"Jade Schultz","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#\/schema\/person\/d058a769f551080ffbc7c284666d9fe9"},"headline":"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes","datePublished":"2019-07-12T11:50:56+00:00","dateModified":"2019-07-15T11:52:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/"},"wordCount":1679,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg","inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/","url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/","name":"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes - SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg","datePublished":"2019-07-12T11:50:56+00:00","dateModified":"2019-07-15T11:52:24+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/20190709im01guystevenscopyright.jpg","width":1080,"height":719,"caption":"A reef manta ray cruises over a reef at D'Arros Island, Amirantes, Seychelles. Photo \u00a9 Guy Stevens | Manta Trust"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/homebodies-at-heart-the-movements-of-reef-mantas-in-the-amirantes\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Homebodies at heart; the movements of reef mantas in the Amirantes"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#website","url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/","name":"SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre","description":"D\u2019Arros Island &amp; St-Joseph Atoll, Seychelles","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#organization","name":"Save our seas","url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/sosf.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/sosf.png","width":510,"height":170,"caption":"Save our seas"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/saveourseasngo\/","https:\/\/x.com\/saveourseas","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/saveourseasfoundation\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/#\/schema\/person\/d058a769f551080ffbc7c284666d9fe9","name":"Jade Schultz"}]}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"SOSF D&#039;Arros Research Centre","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1046\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saveourseas.com\/sosf-darros-research-centre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}