🤿 Azores Devil Ray Research Expedition Episode 5 🖼️ Community engagement was a major focus of our recent expedition. We’re grateful to ExpoLab, OMA, Oceanario de Lisboa, the Vila do Porto municipality, and the people of Santa Maria for the education and outreach work we carried out together in July!

🎄 Name a Manta this Christmas! 🙌 You, or your lucky loved will receive a naming certificate, activity pack, fact file, and an optional personalised e-card, and 1-year membership to the Cyclone (adopt before 23/12 to receive it on time for Christma)! 🔗 www.mantatrust.org/adopt-a-manta

📣 New Article Alert Check out this Oceanographic Magazine article highlighting the RahVeshi Programme, a locally led initiative that empowers Maldivian communities to study, protect, and sustainably manage manta ray populations. www.mantatrust.org/news-and-media 📸 + ✏️ Jasmine Corbett

📣 New Science Alert Read the full paper, ‘Shining a light on Cameroon's elasmobranch fisheries: insights from citizen science and market surveys highlight a conservation priority' by Labyedh et al. (2025), on our Research Portal: research.mantatrust.org/publications

📣 New Affiliate Project: Myanmar Ocean Project Learn more about the Myanmar Ocean Project, including its achievements and future objectives, by visiting the affiliate project page on our website : www.mantatrust.org/myanmar 📸 Anna Flam

🎁 Whether for yourself, a friend, or a loved one, our digital adoption packs make the perfect gift - an opportunity to learn about these gentle giants, whilst supporting global efforts to research and protect them. 🔗 www.mantatrust.org/adopt-a-manta

⭐️ Meet Manta Trust Patron - Hussain Aga Khan 🎥 A long-time advocate for manta ray conservation, Hussain Aga Khan has championed the Manta Trust’s mission to protect these majestic creatures and the ecosystems they inhabit. We are very glad to have Hussain Aga Khan as part of our Manta Family!

📣 In The News 📖 Head to our ‘News & Media’ page to explore these articles and dive into more Manta Trust stories featured in the news: www.mantatrust.org/news-and-media

🤿 Azores Devil Ray Research Expedition Episode 4: How We Study Devil Rays 🔬 There are various ways to study the sicklefin devil ray. Here, we explore non-invasive techniques such as photo-ID, stereo-video photogrammetry, and underwater contactless ultrasonography.

📣 Which species were uplisted to CITES Appendix I last week? ALL of them! In a landmark decision, countries have voted to uplist all ten species of manta and devil rays to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. 🔗 bit.ly/4nola9f

📣 Which species were uplisted to CITES Appendix I last week? ALL of them! In a landmark decision, countries have voted to uplist all ten species of manta and devil rays to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. 🔗 bit.ly/4nola9f

🙌 Join the global generosity movement on 2nd December 2025 and celebrate all acts of giving. Your Giving Tuesday gift helps turn policy into action and brings us closer to a future where manta and devil rays can truly thrive: aathfrqs.donorsupport.co/page/FUNSVCD... 📸 Simon Hilbourne

📣 We did it! All ten species of manta and devil rays are now protected under CITES Appendix I, the highest level of international protection. This historic vote bans all international commercial trade, including gill plates and meat, giving these marine giants a fighting chance.

📣 Historic win! All 10 species of manta & devil rays are now CITES Appendix I, banning all international commercial trade. Read the full press release for more: www.mantatrust.org/historic-glo...

Critical Vote for Manta and Devil Rays ✍️ CITES CoP20 has begun! Delegates are meeting in Uzbekistan, and by the end of the week, they’ll vote on Ecuador’s proposal to ban all international commercial trade in manta and devil rays, a decision that could shape the future of these vulnerable species.

📣 Deadline Extended (30 November 2025)! 📧 Submit your abstract for Sharks International 2026, and choose the session ‘Manta Matters: Shaping Fisheries Policy with Mobulid Science.’. 👉 Submit your abstract , and register now via: www.si2026.org

Manta Trust patron David Oakes is at CITES CoP20 explaining why CITES is vital and why manta & devil rays need the highest protection under Appendix I. 🔗 Visit our website to learn more about manta and devil rays, and the threats they face: www.mantatrust.org

🎄 From cozy, sustainable clothing to manta adoptions, including our exclusive festive mantas, ‘Manta Claus’ and ‘Rudolf the Red Nosed Ray’, and the chance to name their very own manta ray, our Gift Guide has something special for every manta and ocean lover! 🔗 www.mantatrust.org/manta-trust-...

🤿 Episode 2: From Global Threats to Local Wonders 🤝 This July, a team of international researchers, educators, and media experts travelled to Santa Maria Island in the Azores for the inaugural Azores Devil Ray Research Expedition! Learn more in the videos to come!

🤿 Episode 2: The Sicklefin Devil Ray 🤝 This July, a team of international researchers, educators, and media experts travelled to Santa Maria Island in the Azores for the inaugural Azores Devil Ray Research Expedition! Learn more in the videos to come! 🔗 www.youtube.com/shorts/1oUwZ...

🇯🇵 Japan Manta Project x ClubMed With the support of ClubMed, we were able to establish MantaBase in Japan. Which is Japan’s first centralised database compiling manta ray sightings from across both the country, and the rest of the world. 🔗 www.mantatrust.org/japan 📸 Takumi Maeda

📣 New Science Alert! Read the full paper 'Composition and conservation status of rays sold in Baja California Sur, Mexico', by Ossiander et al. (2025), on our Research Portal: research.mantatrust.org/ossiander-et... 📸 Sofaia Gribben & (2, 5) Mobula Conservation 🎨 Illustrations by Marc Dando

Last chance! Have your photo featured on our projected mural and show the world that support spans across the globe! 📣 In less than a weeks time, global leaders will meet at CITES CoP20 to decide the future of manta and devil rays. 🔗 Learn more: www.mantatrust.org/save-the-man...

🌊 Become an Ocean Ambassador! We are looking for young people, aged 13-17, to become our next 2026 Ocean Ambassadors! 💻 Take a look at our Education Portal for more details! The deadline for applications is 30 November 2025: education.mantatrust.org/getinvolved

⚠️ The Fight Against Illegal Manta Ray Trade 🎨 Check out this incredible illustration by Francesca Page for Scuba Diving Magazine, accompanying their latest article on the global fight against illegal manta and devil ray trade. 📖 Find the full article here: www.mantatrust.org/news-and-media

✍️ New Article Alert! “We now have a data-driven understanding of global catch and population declines – which underscores the urgency of stronger protections and effective management.” - Betty Laglbauer, Fisheries & Policy Researcher at the Manta Trust 📖 www.mantatrust.org/news-and-media

📖 A landmark global study led by the Manta Trust and a network of international experts has revealed the first scientifically robust estimate of manta and devil ray (mobulid) mortality worldwide - an alarming 265,000 individuals killed every year. 🔗 research.mantatrust.org/laglbauer-et...

Check out this Scuba Diving Magazine article on the global push to stop illegal trade in manta and devil rays, where scientists and advocates unite to protect these vulnerable species from exploitation. 📖 www.mantatrust.org/news-and-media 🎨 Francesca Page/Scuba Diving Magazine

📖 A new study by Laglbauer et al. (2025) finds manta and devil rays at serious risk, with ~265,000 killed each year, mostly in small-scale fisheries. #SaveTheMantas: www.mantatrust.org/save-the-man... Petition: only.one/act/cites-2025 Read the study: research.mantatrust.org/laglbauer-et...

🤿 Azores Devil Ray Research Expedition Episode 1: Manta Catalog Azores 🤝 This July, a team of international researchers, educators, and media experts travelled to Santa Maria Island in the Azores for the inaugural Azores Devil Ray Research Expedition! Learn more in the videos to come!

📧 Submit your abstract for Sharks International 2026 and choose the session ‘Manta Matters: Shaping Fisheries Policy with Mobulid Science.’ Explore how innovative research and technology are transforming manta and devil ray conservation and shaping fisheries management and policy. 🔗 www.si2026.org

📣 New Science Alert! Explore this study by Laglbauer et al. (2025), where researchers examine manta and devil ray populations in East Java, Indonesia, highlighting patterns in catches, the prevalence of juveniles, and opportunities for sustainable management and conservation. 🔗 bit.ly/42LA93V

⚠️ All manta and devil rays are now threatened with extinction, which is driven by targeted fishing, the gill plate trade, and the false promise of “sustainable” catch. The time to act is NOW. Be part of our #SaveTheMantas campaign and make your voice heard! 🔗 www.mantatrust.org/save-the-man...

📣 New Science Alert! Bycatch in tropical tuna fisheries is a major threat to manta and devil rays. A new study by Cronin et al. (2025) explores a fisher-designed solution: the mobulid sorting grid, which allows rapid and safe release of these rays. 🔗 research.mantatrust.org/publications

New research by Beale et al. (2025) featured in a BBC Wildlife Magazine article reveals that oceanic mantas (Mobula birostris) may use deep, non-feeding dives, reaching depths over 1200m, to orient themselves across vast pelagic environments. 📖 Read the full article: bit.ly/3zQz7sP

New research by Beale et al. (2025) investigates the function of rare, extreme dives in oceanic manta rays. These dives followed a consistent fast-descent and slow-ascent profile, occurred far from continental shelves, and were not linked to foraging behaviour. 🔗 lnkd.in/deUJuyiB

🚨 BREAKING: All oceanic devil rays are now Critically Endangered. 🤝 Be part of our #SaveTheMantas campaign: ✔️ Sign the petition: only.one/act/cites-2025 ✔️ Grab a campaign T-shirt, snap a photo, and share it on our campaign page: mantatrust.org/save-the-mantas

Some of our ocean’s most iconic species are vanishing — whale sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks, manta and devil rays. Join us in calling for action. Sign the petition today: only.one/act/cites-2025 #CITESCoP20 #SaveTheMantas