CONSERVATION NEWS

As 2022 draws to a close, Conservation News is revisiting some of our most significant stories of the year. As experts warned that the time to turn the tide on marine protections is dwindling, conservationists and governments came together to advocate for oceans.

Targeted for their gill plates and trapped accidentally in fishing nets, reef manta rays are in trouble; their populations around the world are plummeting. But in one protected area off the coast of Indonesia, the rays are not only bucking worldwide trends – they’re thriving.

A new technique for measuring manta rays could offer critical insights into their health, reproductive status, lifespans and whether a population is growing or shrinking.

Conservation News spoke to a manta ray expert at Conservation International about the findings of his new research — from promising pregnancies to drone discoveries to acrobatic feeding behaviors.

Here’s a roundup of recent science published by Conservation International experts.