Marine Megafauna Foundation

MMF was founded in 2009 by marine biologists Andrea Marshall and Simon J Pierce in Tofo Beach, Mozambique.

• Developed new techniques to use photo identification and artificial intelligence to study and track populations of whale sharks and other marine animals.{{Cite journal |last1=Marshall |first1=A. D. |last2=Pierce |first2=S. J. |date=April 2012 |title=The use and abuse of photographic identification in sharks and rays |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03244.x |journal=Journal of Fish Biology |language=en |volume=80 |issue=5 |pages=1361–1379 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03244.x|pmid=22497388 |url-access=subscription }}{{Cite web |last=Matthews-King |first=Alex |date=23 January 2017 |title=Whale sharks' secrets revealed by live-tracking aquatic drones |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2118755-whale-sharks-secrets-revealed-by-live-tracking-aquatic-drones/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=New Scientist |language=en-US}} These are incorporated in Citizen science programs such as Sharkbook{{Cite web |title=How A.I. is helping to protect the endangered whale sharks of the Galapagos |url=https://fortune.com/2022/11/01/tech-forward-everyday-ai-galapagos-islands/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Fortune |language=en}} and Manta Matcher.{{Cite news |last=Klein |first=JoAnna |date=2019-10-14 |title=The Mystery of the Melanistic Manta Rays |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/science/manta-rays-black.html |access-date=2023-02-02 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite journal |last1=Venables |first1=Stephanie K. |last2=Marshall |first2=Andrea D. |last3=Germanov |first3=Elitza S. |last4=Perryman |first4=Robert J. Y. |last5=Tapilatu |first5=Ricardo F. |last6=Hendrawan |first6=I Gede |last7=Flam |first7=Anna L. |last8=van Keulen |first8=Mike |last9=Tomkins |first9=Joseph L. |last10=Kennington |first10=W. Jason |date=2019-10-09 |title=It's not all black and white: investigating colour polymorphism in manta rays across Indo-Pacific populations |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=286 |issue=1912 |pages=20191879 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2019.1879 |pmc=6790782 |pmid=31594509}}{{Cite web |title=How A.I. is helping to protect the endangered whale sharks of the Galapagos |url=https://fortune.com/2022/11/01/tech-forward-everyday-ai-galapagos-islands/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Fortune |language=en}}
• Discovered a new type of Manta, the "reef manta ray" (Manta alfredi){{Cite journal |last1=Marshall |first1=Andrea D. |last2=Compagno |first2=Leonard J. V. |last3=Bennett |first3=Michael B. |date=2009-12-31 |title=Redescription of the genus Manta with resurrection of Manta alfredi (Krefft, 1868) (Chondrichthyes; Myliobatoidei; Mobulidae) |url=https://zenodo.org/record/191734 |journal=Zootaxa |volume=2301 |pages=1–28 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.191734}}
• Led initiatives to add whale sharks,Pierce, S.J. & Norman, B. 2016. Rhincodon typus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T19488A2365291. {{doi|10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19488A2365291.en}}. Accessed on 31 January 2023. reef manta rays,Marshall, A., Barreto, R., Carlson, J., Fernando, D., Fordham, S., Francis, M.P., Herman, K., Jabado, R.W., Liu, K.M., Pacoureau, N., Rigby, C.L., Romanov, E. & Sherley, R.B. 2022. Mobula alfredi (amended version of 2019 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T195459A214395983. {{doi|10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T195459A214395983.en}}. Accessed on 31 January 2023. and oceanic manta rays{{Cite web |last=Will |date=2020-12-10 |title=Giant manta becomes first manta ray to be listed as an endangered species |url=https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/giant-manta-endangered-iucn/ |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=Oceanographic |language=en-GB}}Marshall, A., Barreto, R., Carlson, J., Fernando, D., Fordham, S., Francis, M.P., Derrick, D., Herman, K., Jabado, R.W., Liu, K.M., Rigby, C.L. & Romanov, E. 2022. Mobula birostris (amended version of 2020 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T198921A214397182. {{doi|10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T198921A214397182.en}}. Accessed on 31 January 2023. to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Established the Inhambane Province Hope Spot in collaboration with Sylvia Earle's Mission Blue{{cite web | url=https://marinemegafauna.org/news/inhambane-seascape-hope-spot | title=Inhambane Seascape in Mozambique Recognized as Mission Blue Hope Spot }}{{cite web |author1-link=Sylvia Earle |date=Jan 26, 2022 | title=WATCH: Dr. Sylvia Earle Introduces the Inhambane Seascape Hope Spot | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnke0bOoPU8 |website=youtube.com |publisher=Sylvia Earle |language=en |format=video}}
• Documented the first sightings of the ornate eagle ray (Aetomylaeus vespertilio) in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, Inhambane Province, Mozambique{{Cite web |title=Researchers Document the Rare Ornate Eagle Ray |url=https://marinemegafauna.org/news/researchers-document-the-rare-ornate-eagle-ray |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Marine Megafauna Foundation |language=en-US}}{{Cite journal |last1=Venables |first1=Stephanie K. |last2=Conradie |first2=Janneman |last3=Marshall |first3=Andrea D. |date=November 2021 |title=First records of the ornate eagle ray Aetomylaeus vespertilio from the Inhambane Province, Mozambique |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/abs/first-records-of-the-ornate-eagle-ray-aetomylaeus-vespertilio-from-the-inhambane-province-mozambique/422C8CB7EC40822365E97DAC0452B4C1 |journal=Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |language=en |volume=101 |issue=7 |pages=1085–1088 |doi=10.1017/S0025315422000054 |s2cid=247379157 |issn=0025-3154|url-access=subscription }}
• Documented the first recorded sighting of a live Smalleye Stingray underwater in 2009 and then the first successful tag of "the World's biggest ocean stingray"{{Cite web |date=2023-01-24 |title=A wildlife first: World's biggest ocean stingray tagged in the wild |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/worlds-biggest-ocean-stingray-tagged-for-first-time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124123135/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/worlds-biggest-ocean-stingray-tagged-for-first-time |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=National Geographic |language=en}} in 2023.
• Completed the first study of South Florida manta ray population Luu,{{Cite web |last=Steinhoff |first=Nane |date=2022-04-06 |title=First digital 3D model of a manta ray created |url=https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/first-ever-accurate-digital-3d-model-of-a-manta-ray-created/ |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=Oceanographic |language=en-GB}} and created what was reported to be the first digital 3D manta ray model with the Digital Life Project and ANGARI Foundation.
• Uncovered illegal Chinese fishing practices after a whale shark named "Hope" with a satellite tag tracked by MMF was killed in Galapagos. This incident resulted in expansion of the Marine Protected Zone around the Galapagos.{{Cite news |date=2021-11-03 |title=Galapagos marine reserve: Conservationists hail expansion |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59149728 |access-date=2023-02-06}}{{Cite news |last1=Myers |first1=Steven Lee |last2=Chang |first2=Agnes |last3=Watkins |first3=Derek |last4=Fu |first4=Claire |date=2022-09-26 |title=How China Targets the Global Fish Supply |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/26/world/asia/china-fishing-south-america.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Collyns |first=Dan |date=2020-08-06 |title='They just pull up everything!' Chinese fleet raises fears for Galápagos sea life |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/06/chinese-fleet-fishing-galapagos-islands-environment |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0261-3077}}
• Created “Ocean Guardians” conservation education project in Mozambique recognized by UNESCO.{{Cite web |title=Ocean Guardians |url=http://www.unescogreencitizens.org/projects/ocean-guardians/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Unesco Green Citizens |language=en-US}}

• {{cite web |author1-link=National Geographic |date=Jan 24, 2017 |title=WATCH: Investigating the Mysterious Whale Sharks of Mafia Island |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9tpPWK7sag |website=youtube.com |publisher=National Geographic |language=en |format=video}}
• {{cite web |author1-link=National Geographic |title=WATCH: Andrea Marshall: Queen of the Manta Rays -Nat Geo Live|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k_Ky_H8Ods | website=youtube.com |publisher=National Geographic |language=en |format=video |date=Jul 15, 2013}}
• {{cite web |author1-link=BBC |title=WATCH: Andrea - Queen of Mantas - First Ever Encounter with Smalleye Stingray |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0052vwg | website=bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |language=en |format=video |date=2009}}
• {{cite web |author1-link=Sylvia Earle |date=Jan 26, 2022 | title=WATCH: Dr. Sylvia Earle Introduces the Inhambane Seascape Hope Spot | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnke0bOoPU8 |website=youtube.com |publisher=Sylvia Earle |language=en |format=video}}

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Category:Marine conservation organizations

Category:Wildlife conservation organizations

Category:Environmental organizations established in 2009