- DISCOVERY Vessel Dione Fun
FMP Manta Aerial Survey Expedition
- December 8, 2025
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Project Overview
Despite being large and charismatic megafauna, manta rays remained largely overlooked and understudied in Florida for many years. That changed in 2016 with the establishment of the Florida Manta Project (FMP), the first research initiative dedicated specifically to understanding Florida’s manta ray populations. Florida is one of the only places in the world known to host both a rare nursery habitat for juvenile mantas and a seasonal aggregation of adults.
FMP’s pioneering work has helped close critical knowledge gaps in manta biology, identified key habitats, and provided essential data to management agencies. Their efforts contributed to the formal description of a new species in 2025, the Atlantic Manta Ray (Mobula yarae). Yet even with this milestone, much remains to be learned about the species’ ecology, population structure, and the threats they face along Florida’s busy coastline.
Application
The Florida Manta Project (FMP), a program of the Marine Megafauna Foundation, leads research on manta rays and guitarfish throughout the eastern United States. Their work aims to fill critical gaps in manta ray life history, provide data to government agencies, and advance conservation and public awareness.
To study these endangered rays, FMP uses a range of scientific methods including drone-based aerial surveys, in-water photo identification of individual mantas, satellite and acoustic telemetry, and genetic sampling. The team also documents threats such as boat strikes and fishing gear entanglement and works closely with local communities by providing educational outreach in schools and raising awareness about the vulnerability of manta populations in Florida.
Expedition Summary
On December 8, 2025, The International SeaKeepers Society supported the Florida Manta Project on a survey mission aboard DISCOVERY Vessel Dione Fun, tender to DISCOVERY Yacht Dione Sun. After receiving multiple public reports of manta sightings over the weekend, the team mobilized to survey the coastline from Fort Lauderdale north to Hillsborough Inlet and the Boca Raton Inlet.
Using a combination of vessel-based observation and drone-assisted searches, researchers successfully documented seven manta rays, several of which were new individuals added to the FMP catalog. High-quality identification photographs were collected for each sighting, contributing valuable data to long-term studies on individual movement patterns, habitat use, and site fidelity within this region.
During the survey, the team noted that several mantas were entangled in fishing gear, including one individual whose cephalic fin was at risk due to the severity of the entanglement. Although researchers attempted to intervene, conditions did not allow for safe removal of the gear. These observations add to the growing record of human-related threats faced by manta rays in South Florida and underscore the importance of continued monitoring and responsive field efforts.
Today’s rapid-response expedition provided important updates to the FMP database and confirmed active manta presence along this stretch of coastline at a time of year when sightings are especially valuable. These surveys play a key role in tracking the health of this endangered species and documenting the pressures they face in one of the most heavily trafficked marine environments in the state.
Location
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Duration of Project
This project has been ongoing since 2016.
Leadership
Research Team
Jessica Pate, Research Scientist, Florida Manta Project
Bryant Turffs, Research Assistant and Underwater Photographer, Florida Manta Project
Olivia Rothberg, Volunteer, Florida Manta Project
Aubri Keith, The International SeaKeepers Society
Partner Sites
Photo Gallery
