Manta rays are an example of charismatic megafauna, and like many large marine vertebrates they are threatened fisheries. Mantas have been protected from fisheries in Mexico for over a decade, but populations show no signs of recovery. Bycatch remains a serious problem and mantas throughout Bahia de Banderas show numerous signs of harmful interactions with fisheries, including entanglement in nets or fishing gear, and boat strikes, which are often fatal. Even when protection and management decisions have been made, the lack of knowledge makes those decisions not enough.

This project uses active acoustic telemetry tags designed to track individual organisms for a stablished time, allowing us to gather important ecological information which is going to be convinced with information generated with different techniques, making it useful to understand the life history of the species. This information will help to make better managing decisions enhancing the manta rays’ chances to survive in Bahia de Banderas. We plan to follow 4 individuals for 48 hours each during the spring of 2017, when the manta rays are more abundant in the bay. Combined with passive acoustic tags that have been tracking individuals during 2016, we will have a better and more complete picture of the movements of this animals all over the bay.