Summary of Landaa Giraavaru's Marine Research Centre's accomplishments in 2007.

Dowload the Marine Biology Acheivements for 2007--(156K PDF)

Landaa Giraavaru has now been open for over a year and in that time my team of Marine Biologists and I have taken some huge steps forward in conservation and research, initiating and participating in many new, exciting and worthwhile projects which have already seen some really positive achievements; from saving and rehabilitating injured turtles, to setting up an Atoll based conservation and environmental initiatives project. From tracking tagged manta rays for four days and nights to deploying another 50 artificial reefs around our resorts lagoon. All of these activities have been rewarding and enjoyable and I look forward to the year ahead with high expectations and excitement.

Outlined below is a summary of Landaa Giraavaru's Marine Research Centre's accomplishments in 2007 and some of the continued work we have planned for the coming year.

Maldivian Manta Ray Project

(www.maldivianmantas.com)
Having founded the manta project in 2005 I now have several years of continuous data on the manta population at my study sites throughout the Maldives. I have added over 600 new manta rays to the database last year, which now stands at almost 1000 individuals. These sightings have enabled me to build a much better understanding of the number of mantas in the Maldives, to plot migration routes, study the reproductive cycle and much, much more.

In the last year I have also conducted active acoustic tracking of a manta ray with a colleague from the University of Hawaii, deployed manta listening stations in the field and studied and written a paper on the reproductive cycle of manta rays with a manta expert from California. And finally, I have taken hundreds of our guests out with me to snorkel and dive with these amazing animals, allowing them to experience for themselves these amazing animals.

All of this work is ground breaking research, which is directly adding to what little information we know about mantas throughout the world. In the coming years I hope to continue this work with the help of Four Seasons and my sponsors (Save Our Seas) to further shed light onto the lives of these amazing animals.