Edy Setyawan: Tracking the giant manta ray with a miniPAT tag

Oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is the world’s largest ray with a wingspan up to 700 cm. Very little is known about their presence and residency in New Zealand waters. Satellite tracking using a miniPAT (12.4 cm in length) allows us to track the movements of this highly migratory species. The miniPAT (on the lower right dorsum of this ray) was deployed in the Hauraiki Gulf in the summer 2021. After tracking for 6 months, this cutting-edge technology showed that this filter feeder undertook long-distance migration to warm tropical waters in southern Fiji as the summer ended in New Zealand. 

This image was uploaded for the SGS Research Showcase 2022.  

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