ABOUT US

OUR MISSION

The Ningaloo Manta Project works to :

  • operate a long-term citizen science sighting database to catalogue manta rays on Australia’s west coast
  • educate and engage tourism operators, photographers, local ocean lovers, and visitors of the Ningaloo Coast
  • advocate for responsible in-water interactions to minimize disturbance to manta rays and their habitat
  • contribute to the scientific knowledge base for manta ray biology and ecology through analysis and publications

Milestones

Manta rays have been photographically catalogued on the Ningaloo Reef for nearly 20 years.

2006 - Manta database for Western Australia established

A research and citizen science sightings database cataloguing the diversity of Ningaloo manta rays was formally established in 2006, thanks to the curiosity of Frazer McGregor. Frazer worked to photographically catalogue manta rays and study their feeding habits and movements in Coral Bay. Based out of the Murdoch University Coral Bay Research Station , Frazer’s early research work involved acoustic tagging to examine fine-scale movements as well as plankton sampling and analysis of sighting trends.

2015 - New research begins on the Ningaloo (Project Manta)

In 2015, an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LP150100669) united a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from The University of Queensland’s Project Manta (now based at University of the Sunshine Coast), Murdoch University, and Deakin University to further expand on Frazer’s foundational work in Ningaloo and address questions of broad-scale movement and genetic connectivity in reef manta rays. Partner organizations included Austral Fisheries, Earthwatch Institute, Ningaloo Marine Interactions, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort and the TG Kailis Marine Conservation Fund.

Satellite tracking in association with citizen-science photographic mark-recapture, revealed seasonal connectivity between Ningaloo and Shark Bay World Heritage Areas, highlighting the importance of these areas for reef manta rays. Genetic analysis showed the Ningaloo population as genetically distinct from others sampling locations within Australia.

Grant associated funding enabled an upgrade to the structure of the rapidly growing long-term sightings database.

2022 - GBRF Resilient Reefs Grant

In 2022, the Ningaloo Manta Project in conjunction with Ningaloo Marine Interactions, were awarded a grant from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation through the Resilient Reefs Initiative to examine the issue of vessel strike on Ningaloo megafauna. We had noticed in recent years that vessel strike appeared to be increasing in the area, and not just for manta rays, but other beloved species such as the whale shark and humpback whale. We collaborated with researchers at BehaviourWorks Australia (Monash University) who through a literature review, stakeholder interviews, and a focus group, generated a comprehensive report examining the human behaviours driving the vessel strike issue, and potential interventions for changing these behaviours.

Read More

2023 - SightingsUtil & ID catalogue distributed

In 2023 the Ningaloo Manta Project upgraded the submissions process for local photographers, distributing copies of SightingsUtil alongside our identification catalogue and instructions. We now have access to uploaded sightings in real-time, and can feedback to photographers identification information or request further details. This endeavour was made possible through the support of Tom Cannon at Protect What You Love (Dropbox folder hosting), and Giles Winstanley (development and free distribution of SightingsUtil software). SightingsUtil (formerly MantaUtil) helps with the management of media files in our database and minimises the time taken for visual identification of manta rays.

LOCAL Research Team

Amelia Armstrong, PhD
Amelia Armstrong, PhD
Amelia is a passionate ocean lover who came to megafauna research through an initial love for the microscopic (zooplankton). She undertook a Bachelor of Marine Studies (Hons) at the University of Queensland, graduating in 2012. Continuing on at UQ, based in the Shark & Ray Lab and Molecular Fisheries Lab in the School of Biomedical Sciences, Amelia subsequently completed a Doctor of Philosophy with her thesis –
“The molecular and spatial ecology of manta rays in Australia”.
Amelia is currently based in Exmouth, Western Australia.
Frazer McGregor
Frazer McGregor
Frazer has dedicated much of his life to the study and observation of marine life in Coral Bay, in particular, the mantas. Frazer has lived in Coral Bay for the last 20 years, and as such has a gathered a wealth of knowledge about the region. He is manager of Murdoch University’s Coral Bay Research Station, and skipper/part-owner of ecotourism business Ningaloo Marine Interactions. Through his role in tourism he inspires and educates visitors to the Ningaloo coast, transforming them into reef advocates and custodians.