Dr. Stephanie Venables
Research Associate
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steph[@]marinemegafauna.org
Research Interests
Broadly, Steph’s research aims to gather vital ecological information to better understand and protect threatened marine megafauna, particularly sharks and rays. While her PhD research focused on manta rays, she currently studies a number of different elasmobranch species in southern Mozambique, such as wedgefish, leopard sharks, smalleye stingrays, and mobula rays. Steph is interested in applying different research techniques as conservation tools, using a range of methodologies to better understand species and the way they interact with their ecosystem. This includes telemetry (tagging), population genetics/genomics, and demographic modeling.
Steph leads our Mozambique Rhino Rays, Mozambique Bull Shark, and Elasmobranch Diversity projects and is part of the manta ray, leopard shark, smalleye stingray, and acoustic telemetry teams in Mozambique. She is the lead author of a 2026 study of bull shark habitat use, residency, and connectivity in the Bazaruto Seascape and of a 2024 analysis of 20 years of manta and devil ray sightings off Tofo. That study recorded declines of 99% in reef manta ray sightings and 92.5% in oceanic manta ray sightings between 2003 and 2023, trends that persisted after accounting for environmental conditions. She also co-authored a 2025 study of reef manta ray movements and habitat use around Mayotte, in the Mozambique Channel, and a 2026 study led by MMF’s Dr. Nakia Cullain that used acoustic telemetry to track reef manta rays crossing between Mozambique and South Africa, highlighting the need for coordinated regional conservation. She also contributed whipray samples from Mozambique to two 2026 genetic studies led by Stellenbosch University, on the complete mitochondrial genomes of two whipray species and on whipray diversity across the Western Indian Ocean. Together, they show that at least two genetically distinct whipray species live in the region, and that Mozambique is where their ranges meet.
Education
2020 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
University of Western Australia. Perth, Australia
Thesis title: Ecology and conservation of a threatened reef manta ray Mobula alfredi population in southern Mozambique
2013 1st Class Honours in Marine Science
Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
Thesis title: Behavioural response of reef manta rays Manta alfredi to tourism interactions in Coral Bay, Western Australia
2011 Bachelor of Science, Marine Science
Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
Biography
Originally from the midlands of England, Steph moved to Western Australia with her family when she was 9 years old. Growing up by the ocean opened a whole new world of adventure and fascination and at her primary school graduation she proudly declared that she would be a marine biologist when she grew up.
Fast forward a couple of decades and Steph is a Research Associate at MMF, having previously served as a Senior Scientist. Steph started with MMF in 2014 and her work has since taken her to far-flung places across the globe, working on remote islands and coastlines of Australia, Indonesia, and Africa. Steph completed a PhD at the University of Western Australia in 2020, which focused on the ecology and conservation of reef manta rays in southern Mozambique. She is now based full-time in Mozambique, where she works with a range of species from benthic-dwelling wedgefish to ocean-roaming manta rays.
A field researcher at heart, Steph’s favorite part of the job is being on or in the water but she also gets a kick out of number crunching and statistical coding, a necessary evil. In her downtime Steph likes to do yoga, play ukulele, and pat other people’s dogs.
Current research
Leads
- Mozambique Elasmobranch Diversity Research ProjectProject leader
- Mozambique Rhino Rays Research ProjectProject leader
Team member
- African Manta Ray ProjectMozambique · South AfricaTeam
- Bazaruto Seascape Marine ConservationMozambiqueTeam
- Mozambique Acoustic Telemetry NetworkTeam
- Mozambique Leopard Shark Research ProjectTeam
- Mozambique Manta & Devil Ray Research ProjectTeam
- Mozambique Smalleye Stingray Research ProjectTeam
Past research
Media
Asia’s shark and ray hotspots remain poorly protected, study finds | Mongabay
The Mystery of the Melanistic Manta Rays | New York Times
For Manta Rays, Survival Isn’t Black and White | Hakai Magazine
MMF create underwater ‘listening stations’ to track manta rays | Oceanographic Magazine
Underwater ‘Listening Stations’ Track Reef Manta Rays | Dive Magazine
Manta Mother and Marine Scientist, Stephanie Venables | Girls That Scuba
Our work in Mozambique
News featuring Stephanie
Recent research
- 2026Diversity assessment of Western Indian Ocean whiprays (Himantura spp.) through a molecular species delimitation approach
- Acoustic telemetry reveals cross-border movements and conservation opportunities for reef manta rays Mobula alfredi in southern Africa
- Critical habitats for sharks and rays in Asia remain largely unprotected
- Habitat use, residency, and connectivity of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in the Bazaruto Seascape, Mozambique
- A global image-based data repository of killer whale interactions with elasmobranchs
- Characterisation and comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial genomes of two whiprays, Himantura leoparda and H. uarnak, occurring in the Southwest Indian Ocean
- Only one percent of important shark and ray areas in the Western Indian Ocean are fully protected from fishing pressure
- 2025A 15-year time series shows major declines in whale sharks in southern Mozambique
- Declines in sightings and changing visitation patterns of reef manta rays at an important aggregation site in Mozambique
- Breaking barriers: Transoceanic movement by a bull shark