Where we work
Philippines
With our partners at LAMAVE, we tracked young whale sharks, studied manta and devil rays, and surveyed the reef sharks of Tubbataha.
MMF scientists Dr. Chris Rohner and Dr. Simon Pierce worked with LAMAVE (Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines) from 2014, starting with whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Satellite tags on 17 young whale sharks showed that they all remained in Philippine waters while tracked, but spent most of their time offshore, over water more than 200 m (660 ft) deep. Read more about our completed whale shark tracking study.
In the Bohol Sea, we studied four species of manta and devil rays landed at Jagna, on Bohol. They fed predominantly on a single species of krill, and they reproduce so slowly that the study judged any level of fishing on these populations unlikely to be sustainable. The targeted fishery was banned in April 2017. Far offshore in the Sulu Sea, we helped conduct the first comprehensive survey of the sharks and rays of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, closed to fishing since 1988. Diver surveys there recorded about seven sharks per hectare (about three per acre), three times the density of reef sharks in the Great Barrier Reef’s no-take zones.
Completed projects
Bohol Sea, PhilippinesPhilippines Manta and Devil RaysFour species of manta and devil rays landed together in the Bohol Sea fed almost entirely on krill, and reproduce so slowly that no level of fishing appeared sustainable.
Sulu and Bohol Seas, PhilippinesPhilippines Whale Shark ProjectSatellite tags on 17 young whale sharks showed that they stayed in Philippine waters throughout tracking, yet spent most of their time offshore, over deep water.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Sulu Sea, PhilippinesTubbataha Shark MonitoringDiver surveys and baited cameras recorded about seven sharks and rays per hectare (about three per acre) at Tubbataha, three times the density of reef sharks in the Great Barrier Reef's no-take zones.What we work on
Manta and devil rays reproduce so slowly that their populations are estimated to take 15.8 to 86.6 years to double, and they remain at risk as bycatch after the 2017 ban on targeted fishing. The research recommends continued bycatch monitoring, protection of key habitats such as the cleaning stations they visit, and a concerted national conservation effort.
The study links the abundance of Tubbataha's sharks to the park's large size, strict enforcement, isolation, and long protection. The survey recommends that new large no-take areas adopt management like Tubbataha's, and use its sharks as a baseline for measuring recovery elsewhere.
Thank you to everyone who supports our work in the Philippines
LAMAVE (Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines), Tubbataha Management Office, Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Local Government Unit of Jagna, Bohol, Bohol Environment Management Office, WWF-Philippines.