Video Night

We were accepted to present our study at the Chilean National Conference on Marine Sciences, held in Concepción, Chile, in May 2024. On this occasion, Enrique Bejarano, a Marine Biology Bachelor’s student, gave an oral presentation on the findings of his thesis regarding the density and seasonality of Chilean eagle rays in Mejillones Bay. We thought it would be a great idea to summarise his thesis findings and field activities in a short video and participate in the Conference’s Video Night.

With the support of the CETALAB team, we captured high-quality footage of Humboldt Current marine megafauna and ecosystems, including aerial images of whales and kelp forests, as well as underwater footage of eagle rays. This video showcases the efforts and activities carried out with the support of the SOSF Small Grant to gather ecological information on Chilean and Peruvian eagle rays in northern Chile.

Project

Ana will be launching unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to detect Chilean eagle rays in the sandy shallows along the Atacama Desert coast. She wants to know their size and how many there are, how and where they move, and whether these patterns differ between seasons. Information about these poorly understood rays is critical to answer questions about their management in Mejillones Bay. Ana will also find out whether the children from the area know anything about the ecology of these rays and whether fishers would be willing to implement release strategies to reduce bycatch.

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