News from the Marine Megafauna Foundation.https://marinemegafauna.orghttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/important-shark-and-ray-areas-north-america-caribbeanhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/important-shark-and-ray-areas-north-america-caribbeanMMF scientists contributed to four newly recognized habitats for the Atlantic manta ray in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, part of a new map of 259 Important Shark and Ray Areas.Fri, 25 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/leopard-sharks-southern-mozambiquehttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/leopard-sharks-southern-mozambiqueA study led by Jule Buschmann of All Out Africa and co-authored by MMF's Nilza de Catarina and Anna Flam identifies key reefs and seasons for leopard sharks in southern Mozambique, and how divers can avoid disturbing them.Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/ocean-guardians-vilanculoshttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/ocean-guardians-vilanculosMMF's Ocean Guardians education program has opened at Escola de Mahaque in Vilanculos, Mozambique, where 149 children are now learning about the ocean their families live from.Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/underwater-ultrasound-oceanic-manta-pregnancyhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/underwater-ultrasound-oceanic-manta-pregnancyA new study led by Dr. Madalena Cabral and co-authored by MMF's Jessica Pate used a contactless underwater ultrasound to confirm pregnancy in three free-swimming oceanic manta rays in Mexico.Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/dugongs-and-seagrass-bazarutohttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/dugongs-and-seagrass-bazarutoA community-driven project led by the Marine Megafauna Foundation is protecting Mozambique's last viable dugong population by helping local fishers move from destructive fishing to sustainable farming.Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:38:53 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/migratory-connectivity-australian-sharks-rayshttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/migratory-connectivity-australian-sharks-raysA University of Queensland-led study co-authored by MMF's Chris Rohner and Simon Pierce maps the sharks that cross Australia's borders and reveals major gaps in tracking research.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-shark-indian-ocean-statushttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-shark-indian-ocean-statusA paper led by James Bell and co-authored by MMF's Dr. Simon Pierce makes the case for a ban on keeping whale sharks caught in Indian Ocean tuna fisheries.Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/reef-manta-rays-cross-national-borders-southern-africahttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/reef-manta-rays-cross-national-borders-southern-africaA new tracking study led by MMF's Dr. Nakia Cullain shows that about 30% of the reef manta rays it followed crossed between Mozambique and South Africa.Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/polar-shark-ray-chimaera-conservationhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/polar-shark-ray-chimaera-conservationA study led by Vanessa Bettcher and co-authored by MMF's Dr. Chris Rohner compares key Arctic and Antarctic habitats for sharks, rays, and chimaeras with fishing and marine protection.Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/critical-habitats-sharks-rays-asiahttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/critical-habitats-sharks-rays-asiaA study led by Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana and co-authored by five MMF scientists finds that fishing is banned in only 2.8% of the critical shark and ray habitat mapped across Asia.Fri, 29 May 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/bull-sharks-bazaruto-seascapehttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/bull-sharks-bazaruto-seascapeA tracking study led by MMF's Dr. Stephanie Venables shows that some adult bull sharks are based in Mozambique's Bazaruto Seascape, while others stop in briefly on long journeys along the coast.Thu, 14 May 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/atlantic-pygmy-devil-ray-studyhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/atlantic-pygmy-devil-ray-studyA study led by Atlantine Boggio-Pasqua and co-authored by MMF's Jessica Pate clarifies how to identify the Atlantic pygmy devil ray and maps where it has been recorded.Tue, 12 May 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/remoras-hiding-inside-manta-rayshttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/remoras-hiding-inside-manta-raysA study led by Emily Yeager, with MMF's Jessica Pate and Bryant Turffs as co-authors, records remoras inside the cloacas of all three manta ray species.Mon, 11 May 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/mafia-island-whale-sharks-2025-seasonhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/mafia-island-whale-sharks-2025-seasonMMF recorded more whale shark sightings per trip at Mafia Island, Tanzania, in 2025 than in 2024, while a survey of tourists found growing concern about crowding around the sharks.Thu, 07 May 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-shark-tagging-methodshttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-shark-tagging-methodsA study led by Dr. Freya Womersley and co-authored by MMF's Simon Pierce, Chris Rohner, and Jens Paulsen pools tagging experience from around the world into guidance for whale shark fin clamps.Tue, 05 May 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/seasonal-habitat-ocean-giants-southwest-pacifichttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/seasonal-habitat-ocean-giants-southwest-pacificA new study led by Dr. Ingo Miller and co-authored by MMF's Simon Pierce predicts how suitable feeding habitat for young whale sharks shifts with the seasons in the southwest Pacific.Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-sharks-do-it-deeperhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-sharks-do-it-deeperA study led by Dr. Ingo Miller of Biopixel Oceans Foundation, co-authored by MMF's Dr. Simon Pierce, records a whale shark dive to at least 1,978 meters (6,490 feet).Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/sharks-and-rays-senegal-artisanal-fisherieshttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/sharks-and-rays-senegal-artisanal-fisheriesA study led by Dr. Rima Jabado, with MMF's Dr. Chris Rohner among the co-authors, estimates that fishers brought nearly 174,000 sharks and rays ashore at two sites in southern Senegal.Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/community-fish-inspectors-accredited-mozambiquehttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/community-fish-inspectors-accredited-mozambiqueFifteen community fisheries inspectors from Tofo, Barra, and Rocha were officially accredited in 2025 and patrol with Mozambique's Coastal Police, after training alongside 30 of its officers.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/new-livelihoods-fishing-families-inhambanehttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/new-livelihoods-fishing-families-inhambaneA fish-and-vegetable farm, a greenhouse, and an egg cooperative set up in 2025 give 33 fishing families in Mozambique's Inhambane Province new ways to earn a living beyond fishing.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/ocean-ambassadors-expand-to-zavorahttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/ocean-ambassadors-expand-to-zavoraMMF's Ocean Ambassadors, local conservation leaders in seven communities on Mozambique's Inhambane coast, gave 140 talks to 5,867 people in 2025 and expanded to Závora.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/shallow-water-ray-habitats-moreton-bayhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/shallow-water-ray-habitats-moreton-bayA study led by Ciaran Hyde and co-authored by MMF's Dr. Simon Pierce finds that little of the important ray habitat in Australia's Moreton Bay Marine Park is closed to fishing.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/killer-whale-shark-ray-interactions-datasethttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/killer-whale-shark-ray-interactions-datasetA study led by Emma Luck and co-authored by MMF's Dr. Stephanie Venables gathers 320 photos and videos of killer whales interacting with sharks and rays into one open dataset.Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whipray-mitochondrial-genomeshttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whipray-mitochondrial-genomesA study led by Karla Redelinghuys of Stellenbosch University, with MMF co-authors, adds genetic evidence that two look-alike whiprays in the Southwest Indian Ocean are separate species.Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/western-indian-ocean-shark-ray-protection-gaphttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/western-indian-ocean-shark-ray-protection-gapA study led by Jesse Cochran, co-authored by MMF scientists, finds only 1.2% of key shark and ray habitat in the Western Indian Ocean lies in zones closed to fishing.Sun, 11 Jan 2026 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/2025-recaphttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/2025-recapMMF's 2025 recap covers 21 scientific papers, new conservation assessments and protections, community programs, and fieldwork across more than a dozen countries.Sat, 20 Dec 2025 01:36:04 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/happymantadayhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/happymantadayFor World Manta Day, MMF co-founder Simon Pierce highlights recent manta ray research and conservation work in Mozambique, Florida, and Indonesia.Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-shark-decline-southern-mozambiquehttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/whale-shark-decline-southern-mozambiqueA 15-year study led by MMF's Lisa-Marie Auditore found an 87% drop in whale shark sightings off Praia do Tofo, and an 89% drop in the estimated number of sharks using the area.Sun, 28 Sep 2025 16:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/happy-whale-shark-dayhttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/happy-whale-shark-dayFor International Whale Shark Day, MMF co-founder Simon Pierce reviews the species' main threats and the progress made in whale shark conservation since 2005.Sat, 30 Aug 2025 01:00:00 GMThttps://marinemegafauna.org/news/monthly-update-july-2025https://marinemegafauna.org/news/monthly-update-july-2025Our July update highlights the formal description of the Atlantic manta ray, reef manta and wedgefish tagging in Mozambique, sea turtle monitoring in Indonesia, and outreach in Florida.Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:09:00 GMT