Running the Gauntlet: Regional Movement Patterns of Manta alfredi through a Complex of Parks and Fisheries

Manta rays (Manta alfredi) exhibit long-range migratory patterns, traveling up to 450 km between regional sanctuaries such as Nusa Penida, the Gili Islands, and Komodo National Park in Indonesia. This movement, revealed through photographic identification using the 'Manta Matcher' database, highlights connectivity between populations but also exposes them to significant threats from fishing and ship strikes in heavily trafficked areas between these protected zones. The findings underscore the need for a coordinated national conservation strategy to safeguard manta ray populations, which are currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Germanov, E. S., & Marshall, A. D. (2014). Running the Gauntlet: Regional Movement Patterns of Manta alfredi through a Complex of Parks and Fisheries. PLoS ONE, 9(10), e110071. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110071