Manta rays spend a significant amount
of their day around reefs visiting the cleaning stations. These
special areas of the reef are quite unique because it is the one
place where larger predatory species come to be groomed by their
small prey species. It is important that the larger fish come here to
have parasites removed and wounds cleaned to prevent infection. The
manta rays here in southern Mozambique have been known to spend as
much as eight hours a day on around the cleaning stations. This is
useful information not only to researchers but also to divers who are
interested in viewing a manta ray from underwater. If you want to
improve your chances, visit a cleaning station and patiently wait to
see if a manta is swimming nearby.
The project that I am developing with
MMF includes testing a new method of collecting DNA information from
the manta rays. We have adapted a biopsy probe to collect mucus
samples and then are preserving the mucus and will be taking it back
to the lab for further analysis and comparison to the currently
utilized tissue samples. This is really exciting for me because it
not only puts me in the water with mantas but also has a laboratory
component of research waiting for me when I return home.
It sounds simple doesn't it: “We're
just going to dive down to 25 meters, collect a sample from the manta
ray, and call it a day!”. But in reality, the logistics of this
project is quite difficult to pull off. And the manta rays are not
always accommodating to time their reef visit to correspond with your
dive. But we have enjoyed some wonderful successes and the difficulty
makes me appreciate the samples all the more!
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