Ed Bevan

Overview

Edward is a Project Scientist based at the Závora Marine Lab in Mozambique, where he works across several research programs focused on threatened marine megafauna. He leads MMF’s Elasmobranch Ultrasound Project, using non-invasive ultrasound techniques to study the reproductive biology of reef manta rays and other shark and ray species along the southern Mozambique coastline.

Alongside his ultrasound work, Edward contributes to photo-identification efforts and assists with acoustic telemetry, including the management and maintenance of the local acoustic receiver array. He also supports MMF’s aerial survey program, conducting drone surveys at Závora as part of broader population monitoring efforts along the coast.

In addition to his MMF role, Edward also helps run MAR Expeditions, the internship and expedition platform based in Závora. As a Divemaster he leads clients on exclusive research dives around southern Mozambique and showcases the exciting research he does under MMF.

Education

2021 BSc (Hons), Biological Sciences
University of Plymouth, UK

Biography

Edward grew up in Bristol, UK, and developed an early passion for the natural world that eventually drew him far from home. In 2022, he joined MAR Expeditions — the research and conservation platform founded and directed by Dr. Nakia Cullain — as a three-month intern. The work, the wildlife, and the community of Závora left a lasting impression, and when the opportunity arose to stay on in a full research role, he didn’t hesitate. Edward made the move to Mozambique permanently in 2023 and has been part of the MMF team ever since.

Away from the ocean, Ed has developed a deep love for the African bush. Trips to places like Kruger have become a welcome counterpoint to life on the Mozambique coast — swapping the blue for the green, and recharging among the wildlife and landscapes of the broader southern African wilderness.

Current research

Team member

African Manta Ray ProjectMozambique · South AfricaTeam
Mozambique Acoustic Telemetry NetworkTeam
Závora Marine ConservationMozambiqueTeam

Our work in Mozambique

Mozambique is where MMF began, in 2003, and where most of our team works today. Alongside long-term research on whale sharks, manta rays and other threatened species, two flagship programs take conservation into coastal communities: Sustainable Seas, where 90 local Ocean Ambassadors help fishing communities look after their own waters, and Ocean Guardians, a UNESCO-recognized program with more than 8,000 graduates from its conservation classes and swim school since 2012.Explore our work in Mozambique →