Satellite Tag Retrieval with Manta Watch New Zealand

Research Team

• Lydia Green

Project Overview

Manta Watch New Zealand is dedicated to research, education and collaboration to learn more about Aotearoa's oceanic manta rays. Their research is done through satellite tagging and citizen science submissions of sighting reports and photographs. The use of satellite tagging to is gain details of a manta ray’s life, such as where they breed, how far they travel and when. This enables scientists to assess the types of threats these animals and the wider population are exposed to and importantly how best to protect them.

Duration of Project

Year round

Expedition Summary

From May 13-14, 2023, The International SeaKeepers Society's Melissa White, Program Development Manager located in the South Pacific partnered with Manta Watch New Zealand to retrieve a satellite tag that popped off a manta ray previously tagged in the Hauraki Gulf. The satellite tag was last transmitted on the Southeast bay of Tuhua Island. 42 hours before we arrived the tag stopped transmitting and therefore made the mission much more difficult without being able to localize the tag. Our plan of action was to start searching at the far end of the bay including searching between all the rocks and debris. The tag was found very quickly in the area we suspected and was hiding in a small pile of rocks. The importance of retrieving this tag is to get high-resolution data gathered during the time the tag was on the manta. This equipment can also be used again for future tagging. Due to finding the tag so quickly, we spent our time cleaning the beach as there was a lot of fishing debris washed up from several storms over the summer.

Application

A satellite tag is a tracking device designed to gather scientific data about the movement patterns, behavior and habitat usage of an animal. Understanding the details of a manta ray’s life, such as where they breed, how far they travel and when, enables scientists to assess the types of threats these animals are exposed to and importantly how best to protect them.

Location

Tuhua Island, New Zealand